The City of Orlando

The City of Orlando

            The city of Orlando has not escaped the challenges associated with other cities. The main policy issues facing the city range from environmental conservation policies to technology. Generally, the budget document for the fiscal year 2018/2019 provides an outline for the policy issues that the city has faced in the past financial years and has been addressed in the budget allocation. The main issue facing the city has been coming up with a strategy to allocate finances towards the municipal services. The organization of the various departments has been enhanced to avoid further complications that may come up due to poor management. The City of Orlando faces a dynamic environment and has paid attention to public safety, infrastructure, employment, and staff maintenance policies.

The dynamic environment in the City of Orlando leads to several challenges in the administration of budget allocation. One of the issues arising in the City of Orlando is that of public safety. Policies in 2018/2019 have been made to improve public safety in the city. Almost two-thirds of the General Dollar Fund in the budget has been allocated towards the police and fire departments. The amount is used to increase the number of police officers. Moreover, investment is proposed in the budget towards infrastructure and facility maintenance.

Investment is proposed to be done on infrastructure and facility maintenance. The infrastructural sector in the City of Orlando has been on the need for improving, and the budget is required to improve the operation from the municipality. The 2018/2019 budget has allocated more than eighty million dollars that are expected to be used towards improving various infrastructural projects as well as maintaining the existing facilities. Moreover, pensions and other post-retirement benefits that have been affecting the city residents for a long time.

The pension and other post-retirement benefits have been catered for in the 2018/2019 budget. The government of Orlando city has ensured that sufficient allocation is done to cater for pensions and other post-retirement benefits. The budget has considered the actuarial specifications towards the contributions by increasing the contributions towards the benefit allocation. Additionally, the budget has not overlooked the employment policies by improving the levels of employee compensation.

Employment policies have been considered in the budget, and allocations are done towards improving the conditions of employees. Individually, seasonal employees have been considered in the allocation made in the budget. The employees’ pay has been improved, while new parks have been set for recreational purposes, while allocation is made for the maintenance of the parks. Moreover, the most significant shift is seen in the introduction of new investments.

A shift is seen in the introduction of new investment allocations in the budget. Although most of the allocations are based on existing investments, new investments have been given significant attention. For example, an allocation of $1 million has been made towards the provision of affordable housing. The shift is noticed in that previous budget allocations have been based on improving existing projects.

In sum, the City of Orlando faces a dynamic environment and has paid attention to public safety, infrastructure, employment, and staff maintenance policies. The 2018/2019 budget has allocated more than eighty million dollars that are expected to be used towards improving various infrastructural projects as well as maintaining the existing facilities. Generally, a shift is seen in the introduction of new investment allocations in the budget.

Reference

Bland, Robert L. 2013. A Budgeting Guide for Local Government. 3rd edition (must be this        edition). Washington, DC: International City County Management Association.