We got some really good discussion going on here, and some really good insights.
I've given it a bit of thought, and it's true. Just like how one Wealth could equal $10,000 or $1 million, I may have been thinking about Personnel wrong. 1 Personnel could, in fact, equal to 10 people, or 100, depending on the district.
I believe it's still realistic to say that you lose Personnel when you claim a new district, as I'm sure there are roles to fill, and if there is a war, people die. However, I would be willing to make it so you only need to meet the minimum for upgrading a district - I wouldn't take your Personnel from you as a fee.
(That way Personnel are not turning into bricks....)
Would that make it more fair and realistic? :>
And yessss, I had a thought that in the beginning, all the mafias and organizations are small and struggling with their numbers, maybe due to a recent war, or people quitting. Perhaps the war was expensive, which is why no one really has any money right now. Whatever reasons, I want to leave this open to your own interpretation as to why you're starting out somewhat fresh.