West Dunbartonshire Council, along with many other Local Authorities, is facing significant financial challenges as a result of the recession and the subsequent reductions in public sector budgets.
The Scottish Government has received a reduction of around £332m from the UK Government and this in turn means West Dunbartonshire Council must make estimated budget savings of £10m in 2011/12 with savings of around £20m in the following two years.
Budget reductions of this scale have never been experienced before and this is likely to be the biggest challenge facing our Council in the coming years. Like other Local Authorities, West Dunbartonshire Council still has to provide services to our residents with considerably fewer resources.
With this in mind, the Chief Executive and Corporate Management Team agreed to hold roadshows for employees in August and for members of the public during September. At these events staff and members of the public will be given the opportunity to hear more about the future financial challenges, discuss the key areas of work being considered and encourage suggestions on how the Council can still provide affordable and sustainable services over the coming years.
Chief Executive, David McMillan said: “We have an enormous challenge ahead of us and I appreciate that some of the efficiency measures already underway may feel unsettling for staff. However, I believe that to take this Council forward we need to get the best from our workforce and keep everyone informed and involved in our plans. The budget roadshows held for staff during August were well attended with events being fully subscribed. A further series of consultation events will take place across the Council to ensure we engage with as many of our staff as possible."
He continued: "The Consultation events held last week resulted in real positive comments being made by staff. These events were an overwhelming success and the ideas and suggestions put forward will feed into our normal budgetary process. This will assist the Corporate Management Team in preparing options for Elected Members to consider when setting the 2011/12 revenue budget.”
Leader of the Council, Cllr Ronnie McColl said: “In such challenging times, we all have a responsibility to work together and ensure that our plans, services, and resources are joined up and sustainable for the community we serve. We welcome the input from staff as they are our most valuable asset. I hope together we can reshape the future of the Council whilst protecting essential front-line services. We need to put our political differences aside to deliver a balanced budget for the people of West Dunbartonshire."
