Budget survey

The council services you use need funding. We do not have enough funding to meet demands. We would like your views on prioritising, protecting and providing Argyll and Bute’s council services.

Facts and figures 

• We deliver a lot of services that are not a duty of a council. Business support, waste services, transport, customer support, public toilets – these are just some of the services that are wholly or in part additional to what we have to do.

Find out more about what services we deliver here

• Most funding (80%) for council services comes from Government grants. About 20% comes from council tax.

Find out more about where funding comes from and where it goes

Budget gap

• Our budget gap prior to considering any savings options is £14.9 million.  After accounting for previously agreed savings, possible future savings, increases to fees and charges, and an indicative Council Tax increase of 5%, the gap reduces to £6.4m in 2025-26 and £27m over the next 5 years.
• Following the Local Government Finance Settlement announced on 12 December 2024, the council is currently working through what the settlement could mean and will continue to refine budget assumptions. The additional Scottish Government funding will still not close the budget gap leading to difficult decisions for the council.   
• See ‘Budget Outlook’ report for more details on the budget gap - Agenda for Policy and Resources Committee (Item 5) on Thursday, 5 December 2024, 10:30 am - Argyll and Bute Council

Budget choices 

We have delivered more than £50 million in savings over the past 10 years – but we face having to deliver futher savings over the next five years.

We will look for more savings but the size of the gap means that our only realistic and effective options now are to reduce or stop services or raise income for services.

What is the council doing to help keep services going for communities?

As well as delivering savings:

• We campaign with other councils through COSLA for fair funding for councils
• We secure funding from other organisations, if available, for regeneration and other projects
• We consider / create opportunities for local people to get involved with local services, for example:
  • community benefits list (to get the most benefit from council contracts)
  • supporting communities to source funding for their projects;

Your views are welcomed on these questions about council services