Stewart Cree believes the future of some council finances should be passed to communities.
Instead of decisions on where cash is spent in villages and towns being made in Elgin the outgoing leader of Moray Council is eager to see them made locally.
He said: “I would like to see government become more local on issues that have a direct impact on communities.
“Take grass cutting for example – if there needs to be a saving there then communities could decide which areas are and aren’t cut because they’re more aware of local needs.”
Moray Council made national headlines last year when they proposed opposing the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze by boosting the charge by 18%. However, the authority was forced to back down on the proposal.
But yesterday Mr Cree suggested his message may have finally hit home.
He said: “When we proposed it, it caused a huge tremor through Scotland. We were pilloried for it.
“I was taken down to the Scottish Government and told that if we went ahead with it then several measures would be taken that would leave us worse off.
“Now just this week the upper bands are going up by more or less what we proposed. I didn’t put that up, it was the Scottish Government.
“I’m not saying it’s all down to me – but I wonder where they got the idea from.”
