LOOK AT THE ATTACHED FILE FOR INSTRUCTIONS. READING A GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH FLORIDA’S BUDGET .Your assignment is to summarize your answers in a two-page memo (most software, like Word, has a preformatte

READING A BUDGET:

This assignment involves learning to read and use the information in public budgets. As part of this assignment you will need to retrieve a budget from a local government in South Florida. Most local governments post their budgets on the web. I think the City of Boca Raton does a great job with ther budget, so you may want to use theirs.

For the budget that you have selected, this assignment involves reading the budget documents and pulling out specific information.

1. Read the introductory section and tell me about 2 or 3 major initiatives the city is going to undertake during the up-coming budget year. Typically, this is a letter from either the Mayor or City Manager.

1. Choose one department within the budget and answer as best you can the following;

   • What is the mission(s) of this department?

   • What are the major programs carried out by this department?

   • What is the percent increase in total requested expenditures over last year?

   • What object of expenditure category is the most important; which is growing the fastest?

   • Is this department growing faster or slower than the budget for the whole government?

1. If you are new budget analyst reviewing this department for the first time, what information does this budget give you on the productivity and performance of this department? What information would you like to see?

Your assignment is to summarize your answers in a two-page memo (most software, like Word, has a preformatted memo that you may want to use – if not, just look on the web to see what a standard memo consists of)! Please include web addresses for the information that you present and specific page numbers and include attachments as you feel appropriate.