Your community is experiencing an unprecedented budget shortfall. Several of the more recently elected council members have pushed heavily for privatization of many of the everyday government functions your agency provides including all utility services (water/sewer/solid waste) in an effort to trim costs. Your staff’s unbiased and apolitical research has concluded that privatization may solve short term fiscal challenges but that it is a poor long-term decision. At budget hearings the Council has been very hesitant to embrace your budget vision, which thus far excludes privatization based on your research. During one meeting several council members openly criticize your work on the budget, saying that you are not doing enough to trim internal costs, but are instead placing additional burdens on the community members. What are the management issues? What are your options? What would you do? Why?