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Among the many definitions of an “entrepreneur,” two words--business and risk—often are found. Traditionally, an entrepreneur was a gutsy visionary who gambled everything in the hope of a big payoff. Classical entrepreneurship was not for the faint of heart nor the fiducially responsible, resulting in both dismal failures and spectacular successes.
Public agencies--as keepers of the people’s trust--were not expected to be entrepreneurial, and often were prevented from being so by ordinance. How times have changed!
A Closer Look
In the November 2006 issue of PRB, three types of organizations and their funding sources briefly were discussed in relation to budget break-even points, but recent economic trends require a closer look at shifts in funding sources that lead to a business-like environment and an entrepreneurial mindset that may put people at risk in two ways, and even may threaten public recreation.