Budget Consultation 26/27

Open: Friday 17 October 2025

Like councils across Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council faces difficult financial choices in the years ahead. 

Rising costs and growing demand for services mean every pound must stretch further, while funding isn’t keeping pace. 

This consultation invites views on a range of savings and income-generation options to help shape the council’s budget for 2026/27 and future years. 

You can take part by completing the Budget Consultation survey, try the interactive Budget Challenge simulator or attending a Community Conversation in your area. 

Find out more and take part: dumfriesandgalloway.gov.uk/budgetconsultation 

Closes: Sunday 23 November 2025 

Consultation feedback

The Budget Consultation for 2026/27 closed on Sunday 23 November 2025. During the consultation period, residents, employees and organisations shared their views through a range of channels, including the online survey, the Budget Challenge simulator, Community Conversations, focus groups and written submissions.

The documents below publish the feedback received through each of these consultation channels. To support transparency and accessibility, responses are presented by source and have been appropriately redacted where required.

All feedback received during the consultation has been analysed and shared with elected members and will inform the next stage of the budget-setting process. Final decisions on the 2026/27 budget will be taken by councillors at Full Council in February 2026.

Budget agreed – February 2026 update

Dumfries and Galloway councillors agreed the council’s 2026/27 budget at Full Council on Thursday 26 February 2026.

The decisions taken followed the Budget Consultation carried out in autumn 2025, which received a record level of engagement from residents, employees, community groups and partner organisations. Feedback gathered through the consultation was analysed and shared with elected members as part of the budget-setting process.

You can read the council’s announcement and a summary of the agreed budget here: Balanced 2026/27 Budget Set with 8.5% Council Tax Rise to Safeguard Services | Dumfries and Galloway Council

Full details of the budget proposals and the papers considered by councillors are available on the Full Council agenda for 26 February 2026: Agenda for Dumfries and Galloway Council on Thursday, 26th February, 2026, 10.30 am | Dumfries and Galloway Council

Work is now underway to implement the agreed budget decisions.

You can read the consultation feedback and next steps in the Council Budget – 2026/27 and Future Years report (Item 4) on the Full Council agenda here: https://dumfriesgalloway.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=6211