Dumfries and Galloway Council will launch its Budget Consultation 2026/27 in mid-October, inviting residents, staff and partners to share their views on how the council should respond nationwide financial challenges.
Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway is inviting the sector to highlight key themes or asks now to be shared in a sector response when the consultation opens. Take part here: Budget consultation response.
The consultation will run from Friday 17 October to Sunday 23 November 2025, giving people five weeks to consider a range of budget savings and income-generation options – and provide feedback.
An interactive Budget Simulator will go live in late September to help people explore the challenge and the trade-offs involved in balancing the council’s budget.
Dumfries and Galloway faces significant financial pressures. Rising costs and demand for services are outstripping funding, leaving the council needing to find around £35 million through savings and income generation over the next three years.
Importantly, this £35 million shortfall does not include any Council Tax increases that were tentatively planned by the council for 2026/27 and 2027/28. Even with the additional income from Council Tax, the council would still face a significant budget funding gap.
This means substantial savings, efficiencies and income generation are still required to balance the books, on top of the £133 million in savings the council has made over the past 16 years.
Councillors have agreed to consult early and openly on a wide range of potential budget savings and income-generation options before setting the budget for 2026/27 in February 2026.
Council Leader, Cllr Stephen Thompson, said: “This is a difficult financial period for all local authorities, and our council is no exception. We must make significant savings and look at new ways of generating income while continuing to protect vital services and support our communities. That’s why the views of residents, staff and partners at an early stage is important, so councillors can hear directly what matters most before they make decisions.
“Every community, colleague, and partner, has a stake in how we shape our services for the future, so I encourage everyone to take part when the consultation launches – whether online, at a community event or by filling in a paper survey. Your views can make a difference.
“This is a difficult financial period for all local authorities, and our council is no exception. We must make significant savings and look at new ways of generating income while continuing to protect vital services and support our communities. That’s why it is so important we involve residents, staff and partners early, so councillors can hear directly what matters most before decisions are made.
“This consultation is about more than numbers – it’s about listening to what matters most to the people of Dumfries and Galloway. Every community, every colleague, every partner has a stake in how we shape our services for the future.
“I encourage everyone to take part when the consultation launches – whether online, at a community event or by filling in a paper survey. Your views really do make a difference. By taking part, you can make sure your voice is heard as councillors prepare to make the difficult decisions that lie ahead.”
Full details, including all consultation documents, survey links and event dates, will be shared by TSDG when they are published on the council website when the consultation opens on 17 October.