Getting control of the greenfield city budget

GETTING CONTROL OF THE GREENFIELD BUDGET ACTORS Herb Campbell is the mayor of Greenfield During his campaign, he made a pledge to improve basic services in Greenfield city.
John Scott is the city manager who arose through the city management ranks. He has stake in the way things are and offers to help through the restructure process.
Susan Cheong is the budget officer in the office of the city manager. She is experienced and a professional in accounting.
Nancy Schmidt is newspaper writer who engages in criticizing the leadership of the city.
David Jamieson – civic leader.
Lori Valdez is the city finance chair and the auditor who in office ensured audits and evaluations are up to date.
PERTINENT FACTS
The city has had a series of small disasters due to poor management strategies and misallocation of funds in the recent past. The city citizens are not happy with service delivery lately from the city administration. Newspapers reported a case of dilapidated hotels and restaurants do not observe hygiene standards. The budget allocations in the ending fiscal for some department in the city were inadequate and needed review
PROBLEMS/ISSUES
There were inadequate allocations of funds for some basic service-offering department. It is also noted that some department acted below recommended standards. The public health department portrays a rot in management and needs restructuring which is just tip of an iceberg than needs evaluation of all other departments. It is possible that officers tasked with responsibilities are incompetent.
ANALYSIS
Emergencies like snow are a source of problems. The budgetary body did not allocate funds to such course. The budgeting criteria contributed the lack of funds in key departments. The office bearers are not responsible to take up their duties associated with lack of proper leadership. Politically, the mayor had opponents who might be working through their agents to portray Campbell a bad leader.
COURSE ACTION
The mayor together with the council and the budgeting department should develop a budget on a zero-based budgeting approach to overhaul the funding (Watson, 2002)(p. 70).
The city council should employ competent and professionals into the budgeting department to assist in the newer approach to budgeting.
The city government should develop a new service charter and enforce law to ensure that service delivery is up to standard and to the satisfaction of the cities citizens.
DECISION
The Mayor has to overhaul the entire leadership policy and service delivery of the city.
Reference
Watson, R. P. (2002). Public Administration (1 ed., Vol. 1). (none, Ed., & none, Trans.) chicago, Chicago, USA: Pearson.