Councillors,

Lower the Watch budget from 40% to 35%, except with the following changes. Originally the Watch had a much smaller budget than what it is now, and functioned adequately. 35% should be more than enough to keep our town safe.

I am of the opinion the Council should hand out the contract for the construction of the Canal Ward gate, and not the Watch. This bounty on the Scholar is yielding no results. Take it down and let Agents and Watchmen handle him, not common adventurers.

The extra funds from this should be used to take our economy out of this damn recession, and develop the Canal Ward, with a heavy focus on defense against ship and land invasion (Siege equipment to sink offending ships, Canal Ward gate [Contract handed out by Council] excetera), increasing the Watch budget effectively to an estimated 37%.

Increase the Spellguard budget from last term , and add another five percent on the condition that it is dedicated to the reactivation of the Svirfneblin defense orbs. (35% Spellguard). The Spellguard used to have a similar budget in the past, and brought about great results.

Increase the level of Maintenance by 3%, with the intention that it be used in the Canal Ward for sanitation purposes. (Maintenance 11%), this should leave a remainder of 2% discretionary (With 1% going to Council pay, assumedly). I am of the opinion that even this amount is too high, but I understand that some of you like to feel powerful. With the left over discretionary fund from last term, this should make the discretionary fund 4%.

This is not about power plays, but about surviving this year. Once we have more stability, defense wise and economic wise, we can divert our funds to less important civil pursuits.

Cheval's proposed Council fund breakdown draft Civil Spending: 25% + 2%

Administration (11%)

Maintenance (11%)

Discretionary (3%) [1% Anti-bribery Council pay included] + (Left over discretionary fund of 2%)

Civil Defense: 75% + 2%

Town Watch (35%) + (estimated 2%) from the Scholar's Bounty to be used for Canal Ward anti-ship invasion defense and the Canal Ward Gate.)

Spellguard (35%) + (5% Research into Svirfneblin Defense Orb reactivation and Canal Ward wards)

Total funds 104% estimated

Agreeing on this will be supporting the removal of the Scholar's bounty (Which has done nothing for us so far), and the Council having the right to hand out the contract for the Canal Ward gate's construction. Councillor Jacelyn Cheval

Watch/Spellguard,

Please suggest any revisions you would like to see. Clearly state why you want to see the changes made and I will consider your reasons. This is my own budget draft/proposal, doubtlessly other Councillors will have their own plans.

Forget about intentions. Do what you can to augment your force with merchant's mercenaries, including the Kenning Consortium. We can do investigations later when we do not face the collapse of many essential functions. Councillor Jacelyn Cheval

Cheval

Thank you for your draft.

I.W

Cheval,

You compare this Council term with one of the past FORGETTING to include in your equation that we have -three- new borders to protect, one entire new district to patrol and dealing with the new constant harassment from the Sanctuary Below on Canal-ward citizens.

Our needs for recruitment are at their -highest- and it isnt by lowering the budget that you are helping that.

I'll refrain from commenting more until these -facts- are taken into account.

- Lieutenant Lothor, Sanctuary Watch.

Lieutenant Lothor,

I understand your concerns about Watch funding, but they are relatively unfounded. In the past, the budget for the Seekers, the Watch and the Tigereyes combined, who guarded a greater area of land than you do currently, does not equal the Watch share of the budget, percentage wise, in my proposed budget.

Additionally, you will be glad that the following has been passed, prior to the main budget's discussion.

Lieutenant Lothor has requested that the newly found taxes from the Canal are to go to improvement of the area for the first while, and then be added to the main budget. Such improvements would be lighting spheres to illuminate the darkness, repairs to the gates and defence mechanisms there, renovations of the buildings, and other construction teams to improve the area.

The fund will join the main fund pending a new vote.

I vote aye.

Andrew Deepingdale

I imagine you will also be able to use some of these funds for militia recruitment, and defense.

You will find that the Watch does not lack for funds and resources with this proposed budget, unless there is something the Watch is not telling me. Councillor Jacelyn Cheval

The Quartermaster informed me that with this 13% cut to our current budget. We could survive as we are currently but we could not afford to recruit people and any unforeseen eventualities would set us back big time.

You know it's just a matter of time until these eventualities do happen.

And you are comparing a quite different situation. The Tiger-eyes had a lot of funding from all their illegal and illicit activities they were doing during their oppression of the Lower sanctuary as I understood it. As for the seekers, they had no records, plans or responsibilities meaning that whether or not they were lacking funding or not, we have no way to trace -that- back.

We are living in a city that is -extremely- different from how it was in the past as I understand and therefore founding your arguments on past council terms, although appearing logical, are not if you don't take into account the recent changes.

I do wish to continue recruitment and I do wish the Watch to have a lee-way in case of some unforeseen war or event. These are called forethought, but I'm simply advocating these positions because they are essential to our well-being. We cannot tax our defendants to their maximum without some cost to their efficiency, remember that. Men do need to sleep and Animatrons are stupid and easily foiled if not watched.

- Lt. Lothor, Sanctuary Watch.

Budget decreases would lead to a further fall in recruitment spending and administration.

- This mean we would not be able to replace men who die in battle, retire or leave the job for adventuring. - Some clerks would be cleared off. They are keeping order in our Privates by verifying that every arrest log is in order and that there are no misdirection, corruption or error in the arrests they make and how they enforce the law. A cut back would likely mean that 'possible' errors, crimes, be reported improperly. - Our emergency stockpile is practically inexistent meaning that we would have no way to respond to potential invasion or crisis properly.

If the budget for the Watch remained at 40%, we'd still have to cutback on recruitment (which is damn crucial.) to maintain the offices and border in the Canal.

If the budget of the Watch was increased at 45%, we'd have some emergency stockpile for invasions. As well the perimeter security around the Upper Sanctuary and Canal Gate would increase, siege weaponry would be brought down and we would be more able to endure rogue animatrons, chosens or other creatures that assault the Gates.

If the budget of the Watch was increased to 50%, this would gives payment to outfit 10 more members in the Infantry, With us spread so thinly offer the Canal and the Upper District, this would be the ideal and required situation to relieve our men.

Morale is important, Cheval. You mustn't abandon my men when the going gets tough, or the tough will get going... elsewhere to find more decent work.

- Lieutenant Agrael Lothor, Sanctuary Watch.

Lieutenant Agrael Lothor,

Thank you for the honest report, I will admit balancing the budget between the Watch and the Spellguard is becoming increasingly more difficult. With the Spellguard's low funds as they are, many of Sanctuary's essential systems built into Dunwarren are on the verge of collapse, including but not limited to water purification systems, ambient lighting matrixs, sending system, thrall detection equipment and sewage treatment. With an increase in the budget, it is highly likely they will be able to reactivate the Svirfneblin defense orbs on both our gates in the coming terms.

The funding for animatron maintenance is also startingly low, this term with the budget from the last Council, I am informed there is a chance one of three could happen to some of the animatrons stationed around Sanctuary:

1. Animatron Malfunction / Deactivation 2. Animatron Conditioning Failure / Reversion to original systems functionality (Animatrons will kill anything which moves) 3. Loss of efficiency and/or loss of subsystems.