Thursday, July 9th 2020 Show Links
News / Dundee

Residents given a say on where Dundee City Council should make cutbacks

by Jon Brady
October 28, 2019, 2:13 pm
© SuppliedPost Thumbnail

Residents are set to have their say on where Dundee City Council should make cutbacks as the authority aims to save £17.3 million next year.

A budget consultation was launched today in which locals can tell the council where they think spending should be prioritised – and what could bear the brunt of cuts.

A similar survey, carried out last year for the current council budget, was completed by 1,100 people and helped to inform the council’s financial strategy.

Council finance spokesman Willie Sawers said: “Last year more than 1,100 people made their voice heard by helping us to identify what the council’s spending priorities should be.

© Supplied
Willie Sawers. SNP councillor.

“Decisions that were taken as part of the budget-setting exercise reflected feedback from the consultation. We want to make sure as many people as possible participate this year and tell us where they think the council’s limited resources should be focused before difficult decisions are taken.”

There is a degree of uncertainty about exactly how much the council will have to save in 2020/21 due to how local authorities are financed.

Each year Scottish ministers negotiate with umbrella body Cosla to decide exactly how much the council will have to spend – with the block grant accounting for about 85% of its budget.

Dundee City Council expects to have to make £17.3m of savings next year but this is likely to be confirmed in January once the block grant is agreed.

Mr Sawers added: “All of the information we get is pulled together to help inform the decision-making process, and feedback from the consultation supports the council to better understand exactly what the people of the city are thinking.

“That gives us greater insight that we can use to base our financial decisions on.

“Everyone who lives and works in Dundee has a stake in the council and our decisions will directly affect them, so it is vital that as many people as possible take part in the conversation.”

The planned cutbacks come at a time of excessive spending by the local authority.

Councillors were told in August officers are set to overspend on this year’s budget by £4.8m, with the council’s coffers being sapped by unused, unsold buildings.

The spending consultation can be completed online at bit.ly/ 2N8twCi until November 25.