Core services should be paid first and when you run out of money, you run out of money.

I pay my bills every 2 weeks, I start by looking at “core services”:

Mortgage.
Electricity.
Water.
Gas.
Garbage.

Then I look at the “optional” stuff.

Medical bills. Credit cards. “Store” cards.

All sorted by due dates. Pay, at a minimum, everything that’s due before next payday then pay ahead what I can.

Most months? Zero debt, money left over.

So for the city? You pay the essentials first.

Police/Fire/Emergency
Would probably help if the police would, you know, start writing tickets again to boost their budget. A saturation patrol on McLaughlin alone would make fucking bank, to say nothing of Foster/Powell/Division/Stark/Glisan/Halsey.

Then schools.

Then roads/bridges.

Then everything else. No money left for the seniors Tai Chi class at the parks and rec district? Sorry, not a priority.