Budget 2015/16

Overview

Public service delivery in Clackmannanshire continues to change significantly. 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.

In common with all public sector organisations, the Council is facing some very tough choices to remain financially viable.

Why your views matter

In the past few years we’ve tried to ensure, through extensive public consultation exercises, that the hundreds of people who use our services every day are aware of the changes ahead.

While to date we have managed substantial reductions in the cost of Council services in ways that have generally minimised the impact on communities, the scale of the savings required means that this is no longer possible.

To maintain statutory services, including services that protect and support our most vulnerable residents, we need to make substantial savings in those services we are not required to deliver by law, including highly valued services that communities have become accustomed to.

Our booklet shares some officer proposals for budget savings in 2015-16. Although these represent reductions and changes in services, the savings from these proposals still do not meet the funding gap so the Council still needs to find ways of reducing its costs. That is why a shift in how the Council operates is required in the coming years.

We know that the savings proposals will not be popular but there are limited choices available to the Council. So, as we increasingly focus on our core business of statutory services, we will continue to use your feedback to shape how these services can be delivered more effectively. In particular, we are keen to hear from you if there are alternatives to the proposals that the Council should consider and how any negative impacts of the savings might be reduced or eliminated.

What happens next

Your responses will be shared with all councillors in advance of setting the 2015/16 budget in mid-February.