Residents across Dorset are being invited to take on the challenge of setting the council’s budget through a new online simulator.
The simulator gives people the chance to balance the council’s multi-million-pound budget themselves over the next four weeks, weighing up spending needs against rising costs and increasing demand for services.
Councillor Simon Clifford, Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Strategy, said setting a balanced budget is one of the most difficult tasks councillors face. He said Dorset’s older population and rural geography increase the pressure on services, adding that the simulator “gives residents a chance to see the reality behind the headlines – it’s all about trade-offs, choices, and listening to residents about what they want and need.”
Users can adjust spending across areas such as social care, waste collection, roads, housing and libraries, and see how those choices affect other services. They can also choose whether to raise council tax and highlight which services they value most.
Councillor Nick Ireland, Leader of the Council, said the simulator will help show the public the financial pressures the council faces and help councillors understand local priorities. He said Dorset has been “chronically underfunded by government for years” and relies heavily on council tax to deliver around 450 services to 380,000 residents.
The simulator, which takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, is open until 2 December 2025, with an offline version available in Dorset libraries.
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