THERE'S just one day left to have your say on Argyll and Bute Council's spending priorities as the local authority prepares for an expected funding gap of around £2.5 million next year.

People in Helensburgh and Lomond, and across the council area, are being urged to take part in an online consultation to say where they think the council should focus its expenditure in the 2019-20 financial year.

The deadline for responses to the council's consultation exercise is Tuesday, November 20.

Council leader, and Helensburgh councillor, Aileen Morton said: "The majority – 80 per cent – of the council’s funding comes from the Scottish Government. We won’t know how much our funding settlement is until the end of the year, but have to set our budget in February 2019.

"We expect to be given a funding allocation for one year only, and at the moment, mid-range estimates indicate that we will have a funding gap of around £2.5 million in 2019/20.

"Our challenge is to identify how best to use this reduced funding to invest in the longer term future of Argyll and Bute, as well as in the services that are most vital now.

"We would like to match the decisions we make as much as possible to what matters most to people in Argyll and Bute.

"Therefore, while we wait for confirmation of our funding allocation, we would like to hear from you about your priorities for the year ahead.

"We would appreciate you taking a few minutes to reply to this short consultation so that we can involve you in the budget decisions we will reach in February 2019.

Find out more, and take part in the consultation, at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/budget-consultation-2018