The council is thanking the people and organisations of Dumfries and Galloway for this unprecedented response, which will help shape final budget decisions in February 2026.
This autumn – the consultation closed on 23 November – the council invited communities to have their say on how to close a significant funding gap next year.
Thousands of residents, employees and organisations across Dumfries and Galloway participated through an online survey, an interactive ‘Budget Challenge’ simulator, drop-in community conversations in every council ward, focus groups (including with young people), and direct feedback via email. In all, the council received 7331 responses.
Councillors will consider a detailed consultation report – reflecting everyone’s contribution – at the Full Council meeting on 11 December. The early feedback highlights the issues that matter most to residents and will ensure local priorities are at the heart of councillors’ budget planning.
Councillor Katie Hagmann, Convener of Dumfries and Galloway Council, 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.”
Initial analysis of the consultation comments indicates 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. All this input will be invaluable as councillors debate the difficult decisions in the weeks ahead.
The 11 December Full Council meeting will receive a report summarising the consultation results and outlining how this feedback will inform the next steps. Councillors will then develop detailed budget proposals, weighing the options and public views, before councillors set Dumfries and Galloway Council’s 2026/27 budget (including Council Tax) in late February 2026.
Convener Cllr Katie 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.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council needs to identify a further £35 million over the next three years through savings and new income to balance its budget and protect vital services.
Importantly, this £35 million shortfall does not include any indicative Council Tax increases tentatively planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Even with those increases, a significant funding gap remains.
The agenda and papers for the 11 December meeting – which include the “Council Budget – 2026/27 and Future Years” report (Item 4) – are available at: https://dumfriesgalloway.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=6211.