Critical Reasoning

Regional population expansion, particularly in suburban municipalities that can attract large corporations to open new offices, can frequently overwhelm the city’s municipal services, such as waste disposal, electricity, and water supply. Since it typically takes several months to train a new city employee, it would be wise for municipalities to have mandated additional worker capacity for vital services to act as a temporary buffer in the event of rapid population growth. However, such a policy is unlikely given that the current budgets of the vast majority of municipalities could not absorb that immediate additional expense.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?


(A) Tax revenue generated from new residents is typically collected in the subsequent year.

(B) Tax incentives are one of the most common means communities use to lure corporations to open offices.

(C) Several small municipalities have accommodated significant population expansions without an interruption of vital services.

(D) New residents are more likely to vote on local ballot measures involving the quality of vital services.

(E) When financially strained, municipalities will typically cut non-vital services before cutting vital services.


OA A

Source: EMPOWERgmat