Falkirk Council budget consultation to start
Falkirk Council is to ask residents for their views on what next year’s budget should look like, as the local authority faces a gap of £56 million between income and spending over the next four years.
The consultation will begin in October and members of the public are invited to sign up to the council’s online platform, Participate+, to have their say.
Two years ago, Falkirk residents faced the highest percentage increase in council tax in Scotland – with a hike of 15.6 per cent – while this year’s charge increased by 8.77 per cent.
Those increases took the district from one of the lowest council taxes in Scotland to close to the national average.
Setting the council tax is just one part of the budget deliberations, however, as around 80 per cent of the council’s income comes from a Scottish Government grant.
In recent years, that grant has remained fairly static while many costs have soared along with inflation, including the cost of social care which has risen sharply.
In 2026/27 alone, the council says it will need to save £16 million to bridge the budget gap.
As well as raising income – through the council tax hike and price increases – the council has also cut costs, notably in a strategic property review that saw it closing or transferring more than 100 buildings from council ownership.
The council now hopes that major savings will come from a project that will see Falkirk working with Stirling and Clackmannanshire councils in a bid to cut the cost of providing separate services in several areas.
The consultation will explain the choices that the authority is facing in the year ahead and ask people to tell them what their priorities are.
A post on Participate+ says: “Costs are rising, and not all money can be used in the same way. Some money can only be spent on big one-off projects, like new buildings. Other money has to cover day-to-day costs, like staff and services.
“That’s where you come in.
“We want to understand what local people think is important, what they value most, and what you think should come first as decisions are made.”
Residents can sign up for Participate+ on Falkirk Council’s website.