Western Isles Council facing a budget gap of £4.1m

Western Isles council leaders say they have been left in a “challenging financial position” following the Scottish government’s Budget.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is facing a deficit of £4.1m in the coming financial year and will have to decided how to plug the gap.

Following a meeting of the local authority’s budget board on Tuesday they said the options available were to increase council tax, cut services, use limited financial reserves or raise charges.

A Scottish government spokesperson said the Budget delivered record funding of almost £15.7bn for local authorities, a real terms increase of 2%.

The comhairle’s leader Paul Steele said the local authority could not continue to cut services back year after year and called for “open and frank” discussions with the Scottish government to find real solutions for council funding.

The comhairle has invited the public to give their views on its budget by completing an online survey.