Problem:
Clientelism is an effective counter to incrementalism, particularly if the executive and legislative bodies have not done what is necessary to prepare the community to the need for cuts in the target department and the clients of that department get to shape the narrative. We have seen this with both the Ogdensburg City Fire Department and the City of Ithaca Police Department. As the City of Ithaca Budget Director, you are already at work making estimates of both income and appropriations for the 2022 budget. You have warned the Mayor and Council members that it cannot expect the kind of windfalls that the City received in 2021 through federal stimulus. The State is not likely to provide as much money through IGTs that it has provided in the past. The budget needs to be restructured for long-term sustainability. And if those changes are not reflected in the 2022 budget, you can anticipate both a sizable property tax increase and even bigger problems in 2023. Remember: The budget cycle never ends. You will put together a promotional piece that will help the Fire Department leadership understand the pressures under which the City operates. (You can expect that the leadership - in