Published on:
24
November 2015
The Council is launching a new interactive budget simulator to find out people's priorities as part of the consultation process to help the Council make the tough choices and substantial savings needed to balance its budget.
While significant savings have already been made in the past few years, the Council is still facing a funding gap of £22.7m over the next three years.
The innovative new online budget simulator will allow local people and organisations to balance a virtual Council budget, registering their priorities for where money is spent and saved. The Council is required by law to provide certain services like social work, education, planning and environmental health. It also provides or subsidises a wide range of other services such as buses, CCTV, community safety, countryside and heritage management and business development.
Council officers have also produced a number of business cases which put forward other potential areas for budget savings and these will also be available online. A series of consultation discussions will be taking place in the coming weeks with groups in the community to discuss the budget and to get views on the priorities for spending and saving. The data and feedback from all these activities will then form part of the information used by councillors who will be making the budget decisions early next year.
Council Leader Les Sharp said: "We know that there are some very hard choices to be made to balance the Council's budget, and we want to encourage our local communities to let us know their priorities and suggestions for spending and making savings. This innovative budget simulator is a new way for the Council to get that important feedback from residents and organisations in Clackmannanshire.
"While these are very tough financial times for councils, it is important to remember that the Council still has a total budget of around £145million. There have already been changes to the way that services have been delivered over the past few years, and the public has helped us to make budget decisions.
"I'd encourage everyone to get online and give the new budget simulator a try and let us know your priorities for the Council's spending. These views will then be presented to the councillors who will be setting the budget in February."
The simulator and a budget booklet can be viewed on ClacksWeb where you can also complete an online survey. The consultation runs until 24 January 2016. Staff in your local council office can help you with this if you don't have access to a computer. You can also give your views to your councillor or community councillor, or write to MCB, Clackmannanshire Council, Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa FK10 1EB.