ESSENTIAL community services are “at breaking point” because of inadequate funding, Scotland’s most senior councillor has warned.
Alison Evison, president of council umbrella group Cosla, said local government had suffered from a “de-prioritisation” in recent years, as its share of the Scottish budget shrank.
Council services include schools, nurseries, social work, housing, cleansing, libraries and road maintenance.
Chancellor Philip Hammond is due to deliver his budget next Monday, and SNP Finance Secretary is due to deliver the draft Scottish budget for 2019-20 on December 12.
Ms Evison said: “Scottish Local Government must be respected as a sphere of government in Scotland, but recent financial settlements have failed to do this.
“The de-prioritisation of Local Government in the budget over many years, despite the increasing demand for our services and new responsibilities forced on us by policies of both the UK and the Scottish Governments, has put huge pressure on essential services.
“There is absolutely no capacity left and our essential services are at breaking point.
“Scotland’s communities will suffer, and jobs will be threatened unless we see a settlement that respects our work. Enough is enough.
“We need a fair settlement for the year ahead, so councils do not have to slash services which are essential for our residents and communities.”
Cosla resources spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor added: “Through delivery of essential services - children’s services, housing, transport, social care, environmental protection, and more - Local Government is the life blood of Scotland.
"Cosla is calling on both Westminster and Holyrood to provide us with a fair settlement to ensure local councils are able to deliver the vital services our communities rely so heavily on.
“My plea to both the UK Chancellor and the Scottish Government this year is that local communities need to see the figure that comes to local government increase, to build on what councils as a collective actually deliver to the economy of Scotland. “
The Scottish Government gave councils more than £10.5bn in 2018-19.
A spokesperson said: "We support Cosla’s call to the Chancellor to use this Budget to signal an end to austerity, which would enable greater investment in public services across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
"Despite continued UK Government real terms cuts to Scotland’s resource budget, we have treated local government very fairly.
"In 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7 billion. This will provide a real terms boost in both revenue and capital funding for public services.
"We will continue to engage with COSLA on future local government settlements to ensure that fair levels of investment are provided."
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