What is wrong with this city's governor?

[guspasho]

Why is it working an unimproved grassland tile when it could work a grassland farm (or, if it's unhappy, a mine)?

 

[Krugi]

Perhaps the governor assumes that an unhappy city should work low-food tiles so as not to grow further into unhappiness, since every pop point beyond the happy cap costs maintenance for absolutely no benefit, and the governor further assumes that the player won't give the most passing glance of interest to an automated city for the rest of the game's duration. That's the one reason I can think of.

 

[Imperator Knoedel]

This governor ought to be shot for treason. Instead of the grassland and a grasshill mine it could work a river grass farm and a plains hill mine for the exact same food, one extra hammer and one extra commerce.

 

[Sumorex]

My guess is you chopped a forest off that grassland recently.