Economy

The economy of your city determines the quantity and quality of services, businesses, and institutions you can afford. Your player character has personal funds in addition to the city, which you can use to accelerate certain developments.

Sources of income
City funds come mainly from taxation imposed on the income of either companies or citizens. The higher the business tax rate, the more successful companies must be in making sales. Sales are based on a company’s quality and efficiency, which in turn are influenced by the happiness of the citizens working in that company. You need to optimize how and whom to make happy if you want to avoid sweatshop conditions in your city.

City funds can be allocated after a proposal is debated and accepted by means of a city council vote. Personal funds may be used to bypass the voting system at the expense of your character’s personal fortune.

If your city funds drop into the negative range – if you owe money – the district councilors are unlikely to support the introduction of new services or institutions in a vote, however often you appeal to parties in an attempt to sway them in favor of your proposal. This may lead to a situation in which the only proposal the council will accept is one to raise taxes or cut funding of certain services. However, in some cases, large tax increases will not provide enough funds for quick reinvestment.