WEE COUNTY residents can still have their say on how the local authority should bridge the budget gap.

A budget consultation meeting will take place at the Bowmar Community Centre in Alloa tonight, Wednesday January 10, between 6pm and 8pm.

Then at Sauchie Hall next Monday, January 15, between 6pm and 8pm. Or at Tullibody Civic Centre next Thursday, January 18, again between 6pm and 8pm.

It is believed the council is around £13.1million short for the 2018-19 financial year and officers have put together a range of savings options focusing on non-statutory services and management efficiencies.

While nothing has been set in stone yet, the proposed measures are estimated to save a combined nearly £9.5m, still more than £3m less of what will be required to set a legal budget early this year.

The council has been running a listening exercise and people can have their say online through clackmannanshire.citizenspace.com or in person over the next two weeks.

Nearly £2m could be saved across the Wee County’s schools by reviewing the primary pupil and teacher ratios; cutting back on transport; reducing subject choices; and decreasing learning assistants available by a fifth.

Officers further propose a £0.5m saving through the removal of the car parking “subsidy in Alloa”, meaning the council would charge for parking.

Big chunks of expenditure could be forgotten about by changing the terms and conditions for workers at the local authority, the largest employer in the county.

Additional payments for weekend and evening working could be done away with altogether, there could be a reduction in overtime rates and the length of the working week could be reduced.

On the other hand, the top of the tree may also be chopped with a potential £0.9m saving by taking away 40 per cent of management posts across the organisation as part of a corporate redesign.