Falkirk Council faces a budget gap of around £67m over the next four years and must take urgent steps through a number of difficult decisions to avoid running out of money.
Before councillors make these decisions, we’re asking local people to give their opinions through three short surveys on our way forward.
The views expressed in these surveys will be shared with councillors who decide the 2023/24 budget.
Reviewing the properties we own
Currently we own too many buildings that are ageing, in poor condition and require investment of around £200m to avoid unexpected closures, money we simply do not have.
Many of the buildings are also not energy efficient and keeping them would prevent the Council from achieving its climate change targets.
That is why Councillors have agreed in principle to make 133 Council-owned buildings available for transfer to communities.
The Strategic Property Review survey is not about stopping services. It is about finding potential new ways to deliver them and where they could be delivered from, together with identifying the willingness and support needed by communities to manage properties proposed to close should this be an option.
Our Budget in 2023/24
The Budget 2023/24 survey is an opportunity to tell us what you think the Council's spending priorities should be for the year ahead.
Despite the increasing financial pressures, the Council is still expecting to invest around £518m over the next year, delivering a huge range of services.
Preparation for how we will spend the money available to us next year (2023/24) is well underway. Councillors will take final decisions on this in March 2023.
Planning for our library services
We need to plan our library services for the next five years while delivering efficiencies.
We're keen to make sure that your library provides what you want and need.
The survey will take 5 minutes to complete and your views will help shape our service going forward.