Tomorrow, voters across the Falkirk Council area will elect 30 people to represent them for the next five years, overseeing vital services that include everything from bin collections and road repairs to education and social care.
At the last election, in 2017, the SNP were comfortably the biggest party with 12 councillors elected - rising to 13 after the Falkirk South by-election.
With Independent Robert Spears to support them they were able to form an administration. Without a majority, however, they were often frustrated as the opposition groups used their combined strength to block SNP proposals, even passing an alternative budget.
Read more: All the candidates standing for Falkirk Council on May 5.
This time, the SNP are campaigning furiously for a majority that would allow them to press ahead with their manifesto pledges - including a new HQ and arts centre on Falkirk High Street.
The big story of 2017 in Falkirk - as in many other councils - was how well the Conservatives did. Locally, they went from two to seven councillors, transforming the council into a three-party system.
Nationally, recent polls are suggesting that support for the Conservatives has ebbed as the row over "Partygate" has rumbled on, allowing Labour to return to second place.
Whether that will be true in Falkirk is unclear as local issues can often obscure any national voting patterns, and the Conservatives hope that local concerns over issues such as uncut grass and potholes will transform into votes.
Labour won nine seats in 2017, although high profile resignations saw that reduced to just six by the end of the five-year term. In fact, of the nine elected last time, just three of them are standing again under the Labour banner.
Their manifesto shows that they will continue to oppose funding cuts to councils, which they lay firmly at the door of the SNP government. With three candidates in their 20s, the party also has a youth manifesto that it hopes will inspire younger voters to get out and vote.
So much has changed since 2017, when the prospect of a pandemic causing businesses, schools and care homes to close seemed like the stuff of science fiction.
But the ongoing saga of plans to build new headquarters for Falkirk Council revealed a deeply divided council, often unable to make decisions or reach compromise where necessary.
The Single Transferable Vote system used in council elections means that it is very difficult for any one party to get a majority - indeed only the SNP is fielding enough candidates to do so.
This time around, there are other political parties on the horizon - the Scottish Greens are standing in every ward, the Scottish Liberal Party have four candidates and ALBA for Independence Party has three candidates looking for votes, while there is one UKIP candidate.
With several high profile councillors stepping down there is no doubt that things will change - exactly what that change will look like, however, remains to be seen.
Polling will take place between the hours of 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
A final plea for your vote
Ahead of the poll on Thursday May 5, we asked the leaders of Scotland's three biggest parties to tell us what they could deliver for voters.
Cecil Meiklejohn, Scottish National Party (SNP)
"This election is an opportunity to vote for an ambitious, forward-looking Council who put community at the heart of every decision we make. The SNP are the only party fielding enough candidates to win a majority and take forward our manifesto commitments to recover, revitalise and regenerate every community across Falkirk district.
"These last five years have been among some of the most challenging we have faced and, make no mistake, there are tough times ahead, and difficult decisions may have to be taken. That is why we need a strong SNP administration – to take the decisions and build on the foundations we have laid down over the last term as a minority administration, but without a hostile opposition holding us back from making the progress our communities need.
"The future of Falkirk district is in the hands of the people tomorrow – make your vote count and vote SNP."
James Kerr, Conservative and Unionist Party
"I am very pleased by the work all our candidates have put into this campaign. There has also been a huge effort from our supporting team, a true team effort. It is only the Scottish Conservative and Unionist councillors that will challenge and deliver, the issues that our constituents are telling us.
"Potholes, uncut grass, waste collections, schools. We hope to challenge and deliver on these issues, and hold the other parties to account. We will challenge the Scottish government on the funding for local authorities, which has been cut year on year.
"What we are saying is “enough is enough". A vote for a Scottish conservative and unionist candidate, is a vote for the hard working people of Falkirk."
Robert Bissett, Scottish Labour Party:
"On the doorstep we have found that the constitutional argument the SNP constantly raise has not been an issue. What constituents are telling us is they want to see potholes fixed, roads resurfaced, litter dealt with, fly-tipping dealt with, housing repairs carried out more speedily, parks and leisure facilities improved, public toilets reopened and free after three returned.
"Constituents want see more funding for the council from the Scottish Government not more SNP/Tory austerity and cuts. This year alone we saw £29 million cuts from the council budget. Labour will fight for fairer funding, make decisions to protect culture and leisure services.
"We will work with civic and business leaders to revitalise town centres and develop a sustainable and integrated transport system. We will always put people before private profit and we will work to eradicate the scourge of poverty. We have developed a Youth Manifesto that has been welcomed by many constituents.
"Communities deserve better than what they have at the moment. So if you want more of the same vote SNP or Tory but if you want real change then give Labour your votes."
