Welcome to Argyll and Bute’s Budget Simulator.
We have very difficult decisions to make about council services in the years ahead. The simulator gives you the chance to tell us which services you would protect, reduce or even stop to reach the £9.4 million savings target for next year. You can also give views on increasing council tax or fees and charges to help fund services. Every 1% increase in council tax reduces the budget gap by £783,000.
What you tell us will help us understand what is important to you.
Our budget challenge
- Next year we have to deliver another estimated £9.4 million of savings, and £64 million between now and 2032.
- Argyll and Bute’s geography means we deliver services many other councils do not and services here often cost more to deliver.
- We provide more services than we have a duty to deliver; increasingly we have to focus only on what we have a duty to deliver.
- There are some costs we have no control over, for example teacher numbers, inflation, and to some extent social work (the expectation is that national requirements will mean giving at least £91.6 million to the Integration Joint Board for social work). This means that savings have to come from a limited number of our services.
- Most funding for council services comes from the Scottish Government. Council tax helps balance the budget and keep services available.
How to use the simulator
Costs we could reduce are listed in five groups, each with different parts of our work included in them.
Each time you click on an option to reduce costs, you will see the savings target (overspend) at the top of the page change, showing how much of the savings target you have reached. You will also see information about the consequences of your choice.
Consequences are cumulative. For example, if you choose to reduce a service’s budget by 50% please assume that the consequences for a 5% and 10% reduction in that budget will also apply. Please note that although a 100% reduction is listed, this would not be possible for all services – if the consequences show it is not possible, please do not take that option.
Once you have reached the budget gap target, you can submit your response and will see a list of the choices you have made, and their consequences.
You will have the option to submit your response when you reach around £500,000 overspend left but we would like to hear about as many choices as possible so would welcome you choosing if possible until you have fully balanced the budget.
Thank you for giving your views.
Q: Do I need to fill in the simulator in one go?
A: Yes please. If you make some choices and come out of the simulator before reaching the target, you will have to start again. If you would prefer to give general comments, you are welcome to send views to workingtogether@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Q: What’s the difference between a statutory and non-statutory service?
A: Statutory services are services councils must deliver. Non-statutory services are services we do not have a duty to deliver.
Q: What’s the difference between ‘controllable’ and ‘non-controllable’ council budgets?
A: Councils can make savings from controllable budgets, or make choices about how we use those budgets.
80% of our overall funding comes from the Scottish Government. Sometimes funding is ring-fenced or directed for one specific purpose, decided by the Scottish Government. This means that the council cannot use it for any other purpose. Other ‘non controllable’ costs include for example inflation. This simulator includes only controllable costs.
Examples of high-cost areas of our work where we cannot take savings:
Teachers (approx. £75 million):
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Scottish Government direction means we have to maintain the number of teachers we have even if pupil numbers fall
- Contractual obligations (for school buildings and waste management – approx. £36 million): e cannot reduce these contractually agreed costs.
Q: Why list a reduction in costs if it’s not an option?
A: We want to explain the limitations to the choices councils can make, as well as the opportunities for choices.
Q. What are the next steps?
A: Communities will continue to need their council services. Councils will continue to support communities. And we will continue to campaign, through CoSLA, for more funding for council services.
We have to decide however how best to use the budget Argyll and Bute has for its council services, and find ways to balance the budget.
We will use what you tell us about priorities to develop savings options for 2027/28.
Thank you for getting involved.
If you have any questions about the simulator you are welcome to contact us at workingtogether@argyll-bute.gov.uk or 01546 60 55 22