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Councils in Scotland's two biggest cities are preparing to set their budgets.

Taxpayers in Glasgow and Edinburgh will learn how much bills will go up by in April.

Both cities are looking to find savings of tens of millions of pounds. The delay to this year's Holyrood budget has set back the councils' decisions.

Councils across Scotland have the power to raise council tax this year by up to 4.8%.

Council umbrella body Cosla is still hoping councils will get more than the government currently proposes.

'Tough choices'

Edinburgh City Council said it needed to save £87m over the next three years.

It added this will "require tough choices and that it must embrace a forward thinking longer-term approach".

The council plans to set a three-year budget today rather than just one for the next year,

Options on the table include:

• Raising council tax
• Changes to the music tuition service for children - potentially leading to charges for some students
• Reducing funding for community policing

By Wednesday night, no solid proposals had been announced by Glasgow City Council's minority SNP administration. They are likely to be made public shortly before the meeting on Thursday afternoon.

Talks are taking place between different parties to try to find a deal.

Speculation the Gallery of Modern Art building may be sold off has been dismissed by the deputy leader of the council.

There has, however, been speculation about the future of some community centres and the council's golf courses.

So far no councils have said they will use the new workplace parking levy, which can be introduced from April, but some have actively ruled it out.

As a general rule, many councils say they have found each successive round of annual savings more challenging as easier efficiencies and cuts have already been made.

Council umbrella body Cosla is still hoping councils will get more than the government currently proposes.

The organisation argues the Scottish government's announcement of an additional £495m for councils is misleading to communities when taken on its own.

Part of the organisation's argument concerns the amount of government money which is either ring fenced or spent on specific agreed objectives such as education.

However at Holyrood, the new finance minister Kate Forbes argued the government was doing the best it could for councils.

A few other councils have already set their budgets - others are expected to do so over the next two to three weeks.