Angus Council is facing a £20 million battle to bring its ageing and dilapidated buildings up to scratch.
The soaring planned maintenance bill includes more than £13m for schools across the county.
The local authority is attempting to tackle the problem by selling off some buildings which have been deemed surplus to requirements.
However, some – such as The Cross in Forfar, which requires £376,000 of repairs — have failed to spark interest among buyers, leading to fears they will soon cost more than their value to maintain.
The council recently launched a blueprint for the future of education, which would replace many of its ageing school buildings, but it is depending on external cash from the Scottish Government and will need that to build new schools.
SNP group leader councillor Lynne Devine expressed concern at the figures.
She said she would be examining them closely and seeking talks with senior officers to find out how the situation will be addressed.
The maintenance bill was revealed following a Courier investigation.
Arbroath sports centre needs more than £590,000, while Montrose Academy requires more than £2 million.
Brechin Library is in need of more than £148,000, while the historic Inglis Memorial Hall in Edzell will require £91,000.
In Carnoustie, the beach and leisure centre will require £174,000, and it will take £368,000 to maintain Arbroath’s burgh yard.
Carnoustie Independent Councillor Brian Boyd said: “I think there are a couple of things to bear in mind here.
“The first is that these repairs have not occurred overnight, they will have built up over a period of years, and the second thing is that in some cases, these are often Victorian buildings with extremely high maintenance costs that are extremely difficult to meet in these challenging financial times.
“The fact is that some of these buildings are simply surplus to requirements, and I welcome the fact that the administration has recognised this.”
An Angus Council spokesperson said: “The planned maintenance programme for our buildings is part of the council’s asset management planning and informs our future works programme.
“All future programmes are subject to funding and are discussed as items business for the council’s policy and budget strategy group and budget setting process.
“We are currently investing significant funds in the provision of new schools for Angus as a matter of high priority.”
John O’Connell, chief executive of Taxpayers Alliance said Angus taxpayers would be deeply disappointed that the maintenance bill had been allowed to climb so high.
“Those who pay council tax expect results with their hard-earned money,” he said.
“So this backlog, especially those which affect schools, needs to be addressed as soon as possible.”
