East Dunbartonshire Council has launched its annual Budget Consultation ahead of a meeting in March next year to agree the 2027/2028 budget.
Councils in Scotland are legally obliged to set a balanced budget and in recent years this has become more and more difficult due to increasing costs, including prices for energy, fuel and materials, rising National Insurance contributions and a real-term decrease in funding.
East Dunbartonshire’s budget gap for 2027/2028 currently stands at £7 million and although there is still time for this to change when the final budget settlement for local government is announced in December, the figure is expected to remain significant.
The Council wants residents and businesses in the area to have their say to ensure that any budget proposal addresses the issues that people feel most strongly about.
The consultation will run until Sunday 22 November 2026 and can be completed by visiting the Council’s website. The survey can be found on the Budget consultation page.
It should take around 10 minutes to complete and paper copies can be requested via Customer Services.
Council Leader Gordan Low is encouraging residents to share their views and help to inform budget proposals before councillors make their decision in March 2027.
Councillor Low said, “We know there is a lot of concern about public services and national discussions about public service reform, however, we must legally set a balanced budget in March.
“This year, we will spend just over £379 million to deliver essential local services whilst also investing across the area.
Given the budgetary pressures we face, we need to look at what savings we can make and how to increase income to ensure we set a balanced budget that delivers services but also invests in our communities.
“The responses from the consultation will help to inform proposals and decisions, and so I encourage as many people as possible to take part.”
In 2026/2027, 23% of the Council’s funding for services will come directly from Council Tax, with the rest coming from Government grants, charging for services, non-domestic rates and the use of limited Council reserves. For every pound the Council spends from the revenue budget, 47p is on Education and 22p is on Health and Social Care.
After the consultation closes, the results will be analysed and shared with Elected Members during the December Council meeting.
You can contact Customer Services by calling 0300 123 4510 or emailing customerservices@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
