VIEWS are now being invited from the public on where spending cuts can be made at Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The local authority has launched its Budget Consultation 2025/26, running until Friday December 6.
It features 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 will also be face-to-face drop-in events taking place across the region in November.
The consultation results will be reported at the next meeting of Full Council on December 12 and inform the decisions taken by councillors in setting spending plans at the council’s annual budget meeting in late February 2025.
There are currently significant financial pressures facing Dumfries and Galloway Council, with a £30 million funding gap for 2025–2028 – this means it needs to make savings of £10 million a year for the next three years.
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 and have your voice heard.”
