Andrew Burns: Play your part to help us draw up spending plans

Demand for our services has been increasing year-on-year but our annual income has not kept pace so we need your feedback on where we can make improvements. You can help us by playing your part in our public engagement, which runs until November 18.

Last year's budget Question Time at the City Chambers. Picture: Neil Hanna

We have agreed draft spending and saving plans for the next three years and your feedback will help us to reshape our services now and in the future.

I am sure you all agree that Edinburgh is a great place to live and work in but our population is growing and the cost of providing services to the increasing numbers of young and older people, in particular, is constantly rising.

We are also facing inflationary pressures and so with all of this in mind it is vital that we ensure our resources are spent as wisely and fairly as possible.

We are engaging through our online survey and dialogue page, workshops and social media. And in addition, following the success of previous years, we are running another “Question Time” event on November 10 in the City Chambers. This is designed to give you the opportunity to quiz our panel of senior councillors on our budget proposals for next year and beyond.

It will be chaired by Evening News, Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday Deputy Editor, Euan McGrory. Thanks to all those who have already registered for the event and submitted a question online.

At the last count more than 90 had already registered and so far 31 questions have been submitted.

If you would like to put a question to the panel, or just come along and be part of the audience, you can register online at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/playyourpart by November 7.

Of course, for those that can’t make it, you can tune in live via our webcasting service and ask questions, via our website. Last year’s event was well attended with an additional 237 tuning in live via our webcast and was subsequently watched by 3759 people via the archive.

The response to the wider engagement itself has also been very encouraging and I would like to thank all those who have responded so far. There are still a couple of weeks until the closing date and there have already been more than 1000 responses.

You can help to improve the council’s services by playing your part and coming along to Question Time oand by engaging on our dialogue page and filling in our survey online by November 18. You also can phone or write to the council or speak to your local councillor. For further information go to www.edinburgh.gov.uk/playyourpart.

Councillor Andrew Burns is leader of Edinburgh City Council