Council Launches Budget Consultation 2025/26

The consultation begins today and runs for more than five weeks until midday Friday 6 December.

Central to the budget consultation survey are 48 costed budget savings options with respondents asked to pick which ones they support.

A dedicated webpage has been set up - www.dumgal.gov.uk/budget - where people can find information about where the council gets its money from and where it spends it, then fill in the budget consultation survey.

There is also a video message from council Leader, cllr Gail Macgregor, and details of face-to-face budget consultation drop-in events taking place across the region in November.

In addition, there is a Budget Challenge simulator where people can explore which areas of council spending they want to reduce and which they don't - to produce a balanced budget.

The consultation results will be reported at the next meeting of Full Council on Thursday 12 December andinform the decisions taken by councillors in setting spending plans at the council's annual budget meeting in late February 2025.

In common with other local authorities, Dumfries and Galloway Council faces significant financial pressures. A £30 million funding gap for 2025-2028 means it needs to make savings of £10 million a year for the next three years.

Dumfries and Galloway Council Leader, cllr Gail Macgregor, said: "Due to the huge financial pressures faced by all local authorities, we've already had to save £130m over the last 15 years.

"To balance our books we need to find more savings. Over the next three financial years we face a £30 million budget deficit - that's a further £10 million we need to save each year until 2028.

"With increasing demand for services in our large rural area and reduced funding, it's time to rethink how we deliver services. The reality is we need to change, reduce or even stop some services and generate extra income from fees and charges.

"We value everyone's input, and we want to understand how the potential savings that our council has identified affect people.

"We are committed to listening to the views of the public, staff and stakeholders. Their feedback will help us to prioritise, find savings and identify ways of generating extra income when councillors set the council's spending plans at our annual budget meeting in late February 2025.

"This is the chance to have your say on which services we provide and protect. So I would urge everyone to take our Budget Challenge and most of all fill in our budget consultation survey at dumgal.gov.uk/budget - and have your voice heard."