Budget feedback to be discussed

A RECORD number of people took part in Dumfries and Galloway Council’s budget consultation. In total, 6348 residents, employees and organisations filled in the survey – up from 4564 last year. And the local authority has thanked everyone for the unprecedented response, which will help shape final budget decisions in February 2026 and assist in making £35 million of savings in the years ahead. The initial findings will be shared with councillors this week, at a meeting in Dumfries on Thursday. They will hear that many residents want to protect frontline services, especially education, care for vulnerable people and essentials like road maintenance. At the same time, there is public support for the council modernising how it works – for example, reducing waste, going paperless and finding new income streams – to save money with minimal impact on communities. Commenting, Councillor Katie Hagmann, convener, said: “On behalf of the council I want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who took part in our budget consultation. “While I want to acknowledge difficult decisions will have to be made, we had an amazing response – the biggest we’ve ever seen – which shows how much our community cares about local services. “As your elected councillors, we are fully committed to listening to this feedback when making the tough choices we face in setting next year’s budget. We will reflect our residents’ priorities as we work towards setting a balanced budget in February and we want to ensure that we protect our communities and our vital services, while addressing the financial challenges we face.” Following the meeting, councillors will then develop detailed budget proposals, weighing the options and public views, before the 2026/27 budget, including Council Tax, is agreed in late February 2026. Cllr Hagmann added: “The council will ensure that, with the community’s clear voice now heard, it can put together a financial plan that puts residents first.”