If all goes to plan, the forthcoming local government poll will be the last to elect 26 district councils.
The aim is that by 2009 - the date for the next poll - a new, sleeker system will be in place, marked by fewer, more powerful councils.
At present there are close to 600 councillors whose powers are extremely limited.
Bins, bogs and bodies, is how the cynics put it.
The powers largely relate to waste disposal, leisure centres and looking after cemeteries.
In more recent years, councils have been given a modest role in economic development.
It is not clear how many new councils there will be or what powers they will have.
The public is currently being asked what they think of various options following a review of public administration.
The options in the consultation include slashing the number of councils to seven, 11 or 15.
It is proposed that councils could be given a role in planning, and possibly library and youth services.
Another issue to be decided is the new council boundaries - always a political hot potato because geography can often determine who dominates a region.
West of the Bann for example, nationalists tend to dominate, while east of the Bann, unionists are in the majority.
At present, some councils such as Derry City, where nationalists dominate, share power.
Proportional representation
In Lisburn however, there is no such arrangement and unionists hold the top posts in that council.
Under the shake-up, nationalists are arguing that laws should be passed to force councils to share out posts on an equal basis to prevent abuse of power by one party or sectional interest.
The council elections, unlike Westminister, perhaps offer a more accurate reflection of opinion in Northern Ireland because the method of voting is proportional representation.
The council ballot paper allows voters to rate candidates according to their preference. So voters can put the number one beside the most attractive candidate and so on.
Critical test
For example, there may be 10 names on the ballot paper and the voter can number all 10, or stop at the number six if four of them do not suit. If a candidate has enough number ones, he can be elected immediately.
But if he or she does not, they can rely on the second and third preferences of other voters.
The result is a rainbow of representation with smaller parties getting elected in 2001 including the Alliance, PUP, UKUP, Women's Coalition and a range of independent candidates.
However, council politics is still dominated by the main four parties.
In 2001, the Ulster Unionists emerged with the most councillors at 154, followed by the DUP at 131, the SDLP at 117 and Sinn Fein at 108 (although Sinn Fein had more first preferences than the SDLP).
May's poll is a critical test for the big four. Observers will be watching closely to monitor any change in their power bases.
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