As demand for services is increasing and cost pressures are rising, local authorities are facing higher levels of scrutiny over their decision-making and financial management strategies. Robust scrutiny is a core step towards financial decisions that best serve our organisations and our communities. Central to balancing the budget gap has to be a clear understanding of possible areas of financial risk, and how these can be responded to.
Creating a common set of financial sustainability measures which are comparable across all Scottish local authorities will support robust discussions around financial decision making and on the robustness of budgets.