Local councils should be the bedrock of our democracy. Elected representatives with a direct link to their local communities, accessible and accountable, enabling residents to have their say about issues that affect them.
The model has gone badly wrong. As the Electoral Reform Society has discovered 76 per cent of Scots questioned feel as if they have no significant influence over council spending and services, while 51 per cent believe those who run their local council are largely operating in their own interest.
What is the reason for the profound lack of trust? There are a number of factors. A perception that political rivalries come before local priorities for some councillors, and concern about high salaries for officials contribute.
But local government has never truly rediscovered its sense of purpose since devolution, when major powers were handed to Scotland's parliament, which was promptly populated with many of the most dynamic figures in local government.
Meanwhile, despite its early concordat with councils, the SNP in government has increasingly rolled back council autonomy. Centralisation and interference have been a hallmark, from the ongoing council tax freeze, to the threats used to bully councils into accepting this year's brutal financial settlement , and now an SNP manifesto pledge - lacking detail so far - to give schools more freedom from council management.
There are issues of accountability, too - health and social care integration is a vital policy, but removes key areas of council responsibility away from directly elected bodies. Councils’ own tendency to farm out services to arms length organisations has a similar effect.
Yet there are simply too many councils and too much duplication of posts and salaries. Repeated initiatives to encourage councils to work together and share services have born unimpressive fruit.
The ERS poll results results seem unfair on many hard working public sector employees and councillors who genuinely want to do the best for their area. But councils are too often a barrier to change and people clearly want more accountability.
City Deals, could point one way forward, offering significant budgets from Westminster and Holyrood, if councils will work together on a regional basis.
Strong local government remains the best way to deliver the services local communities need. But reform is needed to make that happen.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has pledged a review in which all options will be on the table and this is welcome.
The Herald has long called for change under our Reshaping Scotland campaign. This latest poll shows it really is time for a major rethink.
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