Assignment

Using the textbook “Budget tools: Financial methods in the public sector”. Second Edition by Greg G. Chen

Complete the following questions in the assignment section of Module 3 and 10. Assignments can be completed in Word documents and/or Excel spreadsheets.

Module 3: Page 26 Provide an answer, and then justify your answer (defend it!).  (I have included a spreadsheet below).

Module 10: page 82 Provide an answer, and then justify your answer (defend it!).

MODULE 3 QUESTIONS

1. The local government is running a flu vaccination program. Are the following costs fixed,

variable, or step costs?

(a) Costs of occupancy

(b) Costs of management

(c) Costs of part-time employee salaries based on service volume

(d) Costs of vaccine consumed

2. Clifftown’s Parks and Recreation Department is introducing a new summer program for

children in elementary school. Programming runs from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through

Friday. The proposed camp is 10 weeks long and is planned for 50 children. Fixed costs, which

include equipment and facilities costs, are estimated at $5,000 for 10 weeks. The facilities and

equipment can accommodate up to 100 children per week, which is the maximum the department

is willing to enroll in any given session. There will be 5 camp counselors each week for the

50 children, at a total cost of $2,000 per week for the 5 counselors. The department is comfortable

with each counselor being responsible for 11 children. Any more than that and an additional

counselor will need to be hired. The camp will serve lunch and snacks on each weekday, at a

weekly cost of $15.

(a) Identify the fixed, step, and variable costs.

(b) What would be the cost of the program for 50 children?

(c) What would be the cost of the program for 75 children?

3. Desert Vista Homeless Campus provides shelter and breakfast to individuals in need. Local

governments and several nonprofit organizations provide financial assistance to the shelter and

require weekly reporting. Desert Vista’s current facility can hold a maximum of 300 people. The

base weekly cost to run the shelter is $1,500. The shelter also needs 3 cooks per 75 residents to

prepare a sufficient amount of food for breakfast. Cooks are paid a flat fee of $50 for each meal

prepared. Breakfast costs an average of $2 per meal to prepare, excluding staff costs.

(a) Identify the fixed, step, and variable costs.

(b) What is the cost incurred by the campus for 150 people over a 1-week period?

(c) What is the cost incurred by the campus for 200 people over a 1-week period?

MODULE 10 QUESTION

Find and compare the budget calendar of two jurisdictions of your choosing. (Hint: Often

the budget calendar can be found in an appendix of a published budget document.)