We all need and use council services. And councils will continue to deliver wide ranging services. Less funding for councils however means fewer council services for communities.
We have another £10 million of savings to make next year alone. We unfortunately therefore need to make difficult choices.
This simulator gives you the chance to tell us where you would increase, maintain or reduce investment in services to reach the £10 million savings target. You can also give views on increasing income to fund services, find out about the potential consequences your choices would have, and give comments or ideas on other steps the council could take.
What you tell us will help us understand what is important to you when we make our budget proposals later this year.
Our budget challenge
- We have had to make £70 million of savings from the council’s budget in recent years; and another £40 million estimated over the next five years.
- Argyll and Bute’s geography means we deliver services many other councils do not and services here often cost more to deliver. However Argyll and Bute has also had higher than average cuts to its council funding.
- We provide many more services than we have a duty to deliver; increasingly we have to focus only on what we have a duty to deliver.
- There are some costs we have no control over, for example teacher numbers, or inflation. Savings must therefore come from a limited number of our services. The simulator only includes the areas of work where we can take some savings.
We will continue to campaign with national partners, via CoSLA, for more funding for councils’ vital work; and we do not expect to know for sure how much our funding gap is until the end of the year. However we need to prepare now to meet the estimated gap.
How to use the simulator
Costs we could reduce are listed in five groups; and options for increasing income are listed in another. When you click on an option to reduce or increase costs, you will see the total at the top of the page change, showing how much of the savings target you have reached. You will also see information about the potential consequences of your choices.
Consequences build up. For example, if you choose to reduce a service’s budget by 50% please assume that the potential consequences for a 5% and 10% reduction in that budget will also apply. Please note that although a 50% and a 100% reduction are listed, this would not be possible for all services – if the consequences show it is not possible, please do not take that option. We have included them to help explain the limitations to the choices councils can make.
You can see at the top of the page when you have reached the budget gap target. You can then submit your response and you will see a list of the choices you have made, and their potential consequences.
Thank you for giving your views.
For answers to questions you may have, please see 'More Info'
Health and Social Care Partnership (approx. £76 million):
- Scottish Government direction in recent years means we have had to maintain our contribution to the Health and Social Care Partnership
- Scottish Government direction means we have to maintain the number of teachers we have even if pupil numbers fall
- the national Biodegradable Municipal Ban comes into force in 2026 and is likely to increase costs of waste disposal.
- we cannot reduce these contractually agreed costs.