During this New Year, Bangta City was much deserted than the previous two years.
In the past two years, due to the economic development of Bangta City, many people from other cities have come to Bangta City to look for jobs.
At its peak, the total registered population in Bangta City even exceeded 200,000, and the number of unregistered people was estimated to be at least 30,000. Compared with the previous population of Bangta City, which only had a local population of about 50,000, that was much more Out several times.
Although many people will rush back to their homes during the New Year, many people feel that the journey is too far and simply do not go back. They stay in Bangta City to celebrate the New Year, or continue to work during the New Year to strive for success. These days the remuneration is far higher than the usual salary.
Therefore, the New Year in Bangta City in the past two years was extremely lively. Both the flow of people and materials were greatly abundant. The bustling and prosperous scene even made Hainas, who came to Bangta City at that time, lament that Bangta City was no longer as good as Anwemar. How much difference does the city have
But all this came to an abrupt end with the arrival of Earl Stark.
Because of Earl Stark's policy of suppressing business and promoting agriculture, the chambers of commerce in Bonta City moved out one after another, and the employees of each chamber of commerce also left Bonta City.
In addition to those workers who came here from other cities to work, even many workers who originally belonged to Bangta City also left Bangta City together because they were unwilling to give up their jobs. Looking out through the window of the City Lord's Mansion, looking at Bonta City where the streets were deserted and the lively New Year atmosphere was almost invisible, Earl Stark couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Turning back to the desk, he picked up a document and glanced at it twice. Earl Stark's frown deepened.
This document is Bonta City’s full-year financial income statement for this year.
According to statistics, Bangta City's annual fiscal revenue this year was 1.17 million gold coins, a slight decrease compared to last year.
Although it doesn't look like it's gone down much. However, it can be seen from a waveform chart based on monthly statistics that the financial revenue of Bangta City originally showed an upward trend from January to July. The total financial revenue of these seven months alone has reached Nearly one million gold coins.
However, as August entered, this number dropped sharply and continued to drop in the following months. There was even a deficit in the last two months. As a result, the total financial income in the last five months was only less than 200,000 gold coins.
If this trend continues, I am afraid that Bangta City will have a fiscal deficit throughout next year.
If this is the case, even Earl Stark is confident that he can continue to maintain a strong food harvest next year. But a city that always generates fiscal deficits can still only receive negative points from the Kingdom Council. The occurrence of this result basically declared that the experiment he conducted in Bangta City was a complete failure.
More importantly, his failure represents the failure of the conservatives led by the Stark family. This is something that Earl Stark cannot accept.
The question is... is there any way to solve this problem
Earl Stark looked at the financial income statement in his hand and felt a little hesitant.
In fact, in the past few years, although Bonta City did not have very high fiscal revenue, it did not have a deficit. The reason why there is a deficit this year is entirely because Earl Stark invested a large amount of fiscal revenue in Bonta City. The city's farmland transformation and crop cultivation.
And in order to achieve astonishing results in the autumn harvest, he also spent a lot of gold coins in private transactions with the Duke of Drake.
Although of course he cannot take out this money directly from the financial revenue of Bangta City itself. But in order to make up for this loss, he inevitably brought some back to himself as compensation in other places.
In other words, if we still want to maintain the same grain harvest as this year's autumn harvest next year, it is impossible for Bangta City's fiscal deficit to be improved.
But I want to solve this problem. The most feasible method that Earl Stark knows is to restore the previous policy of Earl Satsuma as the city lord and vigorously support commercial development, so that the tax revenue of Bonta City can be restored to the level of the previous two years.
But let’s not say that Earl Stark is unwilling to do this. Even if he is willing, how can the chambers of commerce that have been driven out of Bangta City by his policy of suppressing business and promoting agriculture move back because of his words
Thinking of this, Earl Stark couldn't help but smile bitterly.
In fact, when he knew that he was about to take over as the city lord of Bangta City, he did some corresponding research on Bangta City. The reason why Bangta City was able to develop rapidly in more than two years was because of the leadership of the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce. The booming magic industry.
From an objective standpoint, Earl Stark, as the city lord, would definitely, like Earl Satsuma, choose to vigorously support and promote the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce and the Magic Industry, thereby accelerating the rapid development of Bonta City.
But Earl Stark couldn't stand on an objective standpoint, so even if he didn't want to, he had to take an attitude towards Xu Yi and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce as soon as he came to Bangta City, and even simply issued a He implemented a series of policies to suppress business and promote agriculture to ensure that the conservative ideas of the kingdom he represented were correct.
Now, the bitter fruit caused by this idea has been taken by Earl Stark for the first time, so that he himself has doubts about this idea.
Just by ensuring enough food, can the people of the kingdom be satisfied and live with peace of mind
Looking at the new Fei brand magic air conditioner hanging on the wall of this private office, Earl Stark showed a wry smile and fell into deep thought.
However, this thought did not last long, as there was a sudden knock on the office door.
Earl Stark calmed down, sat back in the chair, and said in a deep voice: "Come in."
The door opened, and Earl Stark's secretary pushed in and reported in a low voice: "Your Majesty, City Lord, President Xu of the New Flying Chamber of Commerce would like to see you."
Earl Stark was startled, why did Xu Yi choose today to meet him
After thinking for a moment, Earl Stark nodded: "Let him come in."
The clerk glanced at Earl Stark in surprise, responded, and retreated.
After a while, the door opened again, and Xu Yi walked into the office under the guidance of the secretary.
After Xu Yi and Earl Stark met, the clerk came to the door and left Xu Yi to meet with Earl Stark alone.
"Sit down." Perhaps because of the thoughts that were running through his mind just now, Earl Stark pointed to the chair opposite the desk and took the initiative to express politeness to Xu Yi for the first time.
Xu Yi smiled slightly and was not polite. After thanking him, he sat down and said to Earl Stark: "Lord City Lord, I thought you would return to Anvilmar City to celebrate the New Year. I didn't expect you to still stay in the City Lord's Mansion. It's really weird. You can call him a conscientious city lord.”
Earl Stark snorted coldly: "When this is said from other people's mouth, I only think that they are clumsy flattery, but when it is said from your mouth, I only think it is ironic. You will think that I am a Good city lord? What a joke!”
Xu Yi shook his head: "Although I don't agree with your governance philosophy, Lord City Lord, this has nothing to do with your due diligence. My praise comes from the bottom of my heart."
"Okay, don't tell me these nonsense that you won't even believe." Earl Stark waved his hand, glanced at Xu Yi, and asked: "You suddenly came to me today, what's the matter? Directly. Let’s talk, there’s no point in beating around the bush.”…
"Okay, then I'll get it straight." Xu Yi pondered for a moment and then continued: "City Lord, I am here this time to discuss with you the agricultural development of Bangta City next year."
"Are you discussing agricultural development with me?" Earl Stark looked at Xu Yi in astonishment, as if he had heard a big joke. "President Xu, is it not enough for your New Flying Chamber of Commerce to just produce magic machinery? Do you also want to get involved in food production?"
Facing Earl Stark's slightly mocking tone, Xu Yi's expression remained unchanged and he still smiled and said: "If I have a way to increase Bangta City's food production, Lord City Lord, do you think I am qualified?"
Earl Stark frowned and sneered: "You have this method? Are you kidding? Our Stark family has hundreds of years of history in agricultural production. Isn't it better than you who are less than thirty?" Years old young man?”
"Lord City Lord, I think even you can't deny the huge role that the farmland magic machinery I developed has played in improving food production, right?" Xu Yi asked back.
Earl Stark looked suffocated.
This was indeed something he couldn't refute, because no matter how hard he targeted Xu Yi and the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce, at the critical moment of the autumn harvest, he still had to rely on the power of the farmland magic machinery developed by Xu Yi and produced by the Xinfei Chamber of Commerce. .
It can even be said that without farmland magic machinery, Bangta City's food harvest would have plummeted.
Thinking of this, Earl Stark's face softened slightly and asked Xu Yi: "What? What new type of farmland magic machinery has your New Flying Chamber of Commerce developed?"
"No." Xu Yi shook his head and replied.
Earl Stark suddenly became angry: "Then are you here to amuse me on purpose?"
"No, how dare I do this." Xu Yi waved his hand quickly. "Sir City Lord, farmland magic machinery can only assist in reclaiming farmland, but it does not help much to increase the yield of the farmland itself. And I came to you this time to tell you that I have a way to increase the yield of the farmland per unit. Grain production.”
"How is that possible!" Earl Stark snorted with disbelief. "We, Earl Stark, have hundreds of years of experience in food production. How can there be a method that we don't know, but you know it."
Xu Yi chuckled: "Lord City Lord, I admit that the Stark family behind you has a history of producing food for hundreds of years, but does it seem insignificant compared to the thousands or even tens of thousands of years of history of the elves? "
"Elves?" Earl Stark was startled, and his eyes turned serious when he looked at Xu Yi.