Budget Consultation 2025/26
The council and other providers of public services play a vital role in helping local communities. And local people, our communities and partners play a key part in shaping those public services.
An October 2024 report by the independent public spending watchdog the Accounts Commission, prepared by Audit Scotland, said councils know "they urgently need to transform how they deliver services. Transformation in local government has been happening for decades, but a step change is now urgently required... Not doing so puts the sustainability of vital public services at risk."
With increasing demand for services in our large rural area and reduced funding, it's time to rethink how we deliver those services.
The reality is we need to change, cut or even stop some services, and generate extra income from fees and charges.
We value your input and we want to understand how the potential savings that we have identified might affect you.
Our council is committed to listening to the views of the public, staff and stakeholders. Your 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.
We have provided the information on this page to help you understand the financial context in which we operate and how your council services are funded.
Please read this before you fill out the budget consultation survey below - and have your say.
What we do
Councils are responsible for providing many public services, such as: building standards, economic development, education, elections, health and social care, planning, roads, street lighting and waste collection.
Where we get our money from and what we spend it on
To pay for these services, councils get money from different places, the main ones being the Scottish Government General Revenue Grant, Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax.
Councils also receive income by charging fees for some services, such as leisure facilities, school meals and bulky waste uplifts.
Watch our video about where our funding comes from at Dumfries and Galloway Council and what we spend it on:
You can also have a look in more detail at how our council's budget is made up below:
The significant financial challenges faced by Dumfries and Galloway Council
In common with all local authorities, Dumfries and Galloway Council faces significant financial pressures.
We have already made savings of £130 million over the last 15 years by prioritising services, reducing management and delivering services more efficiently.
We face a £30 million funding gap over the next three financial years due to reduced funding - we need to find £10m a year over the next three years to balance our budget
The financial landscape remains uncertain until the Scottish Government confirms the council's funding for the upcoming financial year 2025/26, expected in December 2024.
The council's large rural geography and increasing demand for services make these financial pressures even more pressing.
We've put together a video to explain the financial challenges we face:
Council principles, plan and vision
Our Council Plan sets out what we want to achieve and how we are going to get there. Our plan centres on a core set of principles, which are:
- safeguard our future
- support our citizens
- support our communities
- be a responsive council
Our ambition, as outlined in our Council Plan Vision, is to be a successful region, with a growing economy, based on fairness, opportunity and quality public services, where all citizens prosper. Working in partnership, with connected, healthy and sustainable communities.
Our Budget Consultation 2025/26 will help us achieve this vision and give you the chance to have your say on how we prioritise spending to protect vital services.
Timescales/what happens next
Our Budget Consultation 2025/26 began at midday on Thursday 31 October and will end at midday on Friday 6 December.
The budget consultation results will be reported at the next meeting of Full Council on Thursday 12 December and inform the decisions taken by our councillors in setting spending plans for financial year 2025/26 at the council's annual budget meeting in late February 2025.
Taking part in the consultation
Our council has developed 48 costed budget savings options, which you can view here:
You can fill in the budget consultation survey by clicking the button below:
Fill in the budget consultation survey >>
If you take one action after reading this webpage do this. It won't take you long and as well as the specific costed budget savings options, there is space for comments.
It's the results of that budget consultation survey that count when councillors meet to set the council's budget in late February 2025. Your feedback will play a key part in setting our spending plans for the next three years.
Take the Budget Challenge
We've also launched an interactive online Budget Challenge simulator so people can explore which areas of council spending they want to save money from and which ones they don't want to reduce.
You can take the Budget Challenge by clicking the button below:
Community Conversations
There'll be a series of Community Conversations budget consultation drop-in-sessions in each of our 12 council wards across Dumfries and Galloway throughout November.
Anyone can come along, speak to council employees and have their say in person. We'll promote them on our social media.
You can find the details below:
Digital Assistance Sessions
We're holding a series of digital assistance sessions across some council Customer Service Centres for those citizens without access to a digital device or connection at home, to help them complete the budget consultation survey.
You can find the details below:
Any questions
We've set up a dedicated email address if you have any questions at yourbudget@dumgal.gov.uk
A word from our Leader
We asked our Leader, councillor Gail Macgregor, to film a video message with her thoughts on the budget consultation, why we're doing it and how you can get involved. You can view it here:
Last word
We've got less money and face higher demand for services. Given these constraints, we need to explore how we can further reduce costs, increase income and prioritise areas for investment.
We have a plan and have come up with a range of budget savings options, which councillors will consider when they set our budget in late February 2025.
This is the chance to have your say on which services we provide and protect.
So take our Budget Challenge and most of all fill in our budget consultation survey. This is your chance to have your voice heard.
