COMHAIRLE nan Eilean Siar has agreed to a three per cent rise in the Council Tax and a services redesign review as a way to finding savings of £2million, writes Mark Entwistle.
The comhairle started considering its forward budget strategy in June 2017 when it created a budget board, comprising councillors from all wards and parties, to oversee its implementation.
The local authority’s original projections, based on the recent series of one-year settlements from the Scottish Government, were that savings of up to £20m could be required over the term of the comhairle including £6.3m in 2018/19. This estimate has been revised in light of an improved settlement.