Is it futile voting on your councillor when he has such little control over the council's budget?
Labour councillor Alex Gallagher seems to think so as he has hit out at forthcoming council budget cuts, and believes SNP councillors are not defending the local community.
Speaking at Fairlie Community Council meeting on Monday evening, Cllr. Gallagher said: "It appears to be futile voting on your local councillor, when he/she doesn't have control of the budget now in any way.
"We have lost control of the police and fire budgets, we don't control education as there always has to be a stated number of teachers, we don't control the social services budget, as part of it goes to the social and health partnership.
"We don't have any control over it, and what control we do have is getting cut to ribbons. All the power and financial control has been centralised to Holyrood."
"The 25% of the cuts to local authority budgets are because of Westminster austerity, but 75% of the cuts are the choice of John Swinney and the SNP at Holyrood, and the SNP are staying silent on these cuts, not defending local budgets or services, nor defending local communities."
Mr Gallagher claimed that the council would be making £13.3m cuts to the forthcoming year's budget, and another £13.3m next year. 
Cllr Hill, deputy leader at NAC, responded: "The council is facing significant difficulties in balancing budgets as is the Scottish Government. This is not a poor country and the decision to attack public services and defend bankers is a political one that is ideologically driven by a right wing Westminster Tory Government.
"Cllr Gallagher’s policy flip flops on the council tax freeze are becoming legendary. He was against it, he stood on a manifesto in support of it, he was against it again then denied being against it.
"The freeze on the tax was introduced, let's not forget, after massive year on year tax increases by Labour administrations. The freeze was a manifesto commitment of the SNP and is fully funded by the Scottish Government. Not a single council in Scotland loses a penny. That being said the freeze is not obligatory. Councillor Gallagher and his colleagues are free to propose a budget that rejects the offer from the Scottish Government but they didn’t do so last year or the year before.
"For the last four years this SNP Administration has proposed an annual budget after several months of meetings, consideration and discussions. In spite of challenging financial times we have managed to bring forward plans in this area for a new Largs Academy, we have invested in the Marine Station in Millport and helped secure employment there, brought forward plans to continue to improve Largs town centre and prom and are about to commence a major facelift for Millport.
"Over the last four year period Labour have not moved a single alternative budget in spite of having access to Council officers and to all of the information that they would require should they wish to do so.
"This SNP Administration will work hard to ensure that the effect on service users and staff is kept to a minimum something that we have been striving continuously to do."