LOCAL residents can have their say on Clackmannanshire Council’s budget by taking part in a public consultation.

Councillors approved a report on Thursday which outlined proposed savings, gave an update on the local authority’s financial outlook and the cumulative indicative funding gap, which stands at approximately £22 million to 2017/18.

However, they knocked back recommendations to use compulsory redundancies and the principle of an alternative operation model which would see the development of schools as community service hubs.

People in the county can now share their views on the illustrative officers savings proposals – which are outlined using the same stop, reduce, charge, change framework as last year – for the 2015/16 budget.

Council chief executive, Elaine McPherson, said: “In common with other councils, the funding gap facing the council in the coming years remains significant to ensure that we achieve a balanced budget in 2015-16 and beyond.

“The views of our community are an important part of the budget setting process and I’d urge residents to look at the suggestions which council officers have put forward to achieve the budget savings which are required. These views will then be presented to the councillors who will be setting the budget in February.” The local authority is facing a funding gap of between £8 million and £9 million for 2015/16 and a further £14 million for the following two years.

To maintain statutory services, including those that protect and support the most vulnerable residents, substantial savings must be made in services that are not required to be delivered by law.

The council is required to provide certain services like social work, education, planning and environmental health.

It also provides or subsidises a wide range of others such as buses, CCTV, community safety, countryside and heritage management and business development.

A budget booklet has been produced to illustrate officer proposals which categorises potential savings as either: Stop: Some or all of the services that it is not required by law to provide.

Reduce: Service delivery to the national average standard; prioritise services for those most in need.

Charge: Introduce charges to help pay for some services or stop subsidies for other services.

Change: Look at different service models, which will see the way some services are delivered change significantly.

The booklet can be viewed on ClacksWeb, where you can also complete an online survey and the consultation runs until 9 February 2015.

Staff in your local council office can help if you don’t have access to a computer and you can also give your views by emailing mcb@clacks.gov.uk or writing to MCB, Clackmannanshire Council, Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa FK10 1EB.