Dumfries and Galloway Council has launched its Budget Consultation 2025/26.
The consultation began yesterday and runs for more than five weeks until midday Friday 6 December.
There will be drop-in consultation sessions across the region. Our local ones are in Castle Douglas on 19th November and Kirkcudbright on 20th November.
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, councillor 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.
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.
The consultation results will be reported at the next meeting of Full Council on Thursday 12 December and inform the decisions taken by councillors in setting spending plans at the council’s annual budget meeting in late February 2025.