Angus Council SNP leader Bill Duff spoke of Alex Salmond’s legacy to the area as the former first minister’s funeral took place.
Mr Salmond was laid to rest following a private funeral on Tuesday afternoon.
It followed his death from a heart attack on October 12 during a political conference in North Macedonia.
Mr Salmond’s family and close friends gathered in the Aberdeenshire village of Strichen, which he made home, to say their final farewell.
Around the same time, Montrose councillor Mr Duff was chairing a meeting of Angus policy and resources committee in Forfar.
Angus leader’s tribute to Mr Salmond
He opened proceedings with a tribute to the former First Minister.
Mr Duff said: “Today is the funeral of Alex Salmond and we have the flag at Town and County Hall at half-mast as a mark of respect.
“Alex Salmond was a major figure in Scottish and UK politics over the last 35 years.
“Some highlights of his career. For those of us with long memories there was the 1997 referendum on setting up the Scottish Parliament and I think the support of Alex Salmond and the SNP helped achieve that.”
He added: “I guess one of his legacies is that current polling suggests 50% of Scotland, 10 years after the referendum, are still in favour of independence.”
Mr Duff added: “I was linking locally some of the benefits of his government’s policies and I would mention one.
“There was a concerted effort to improve the school estate. The Scottish school estate wasn’t particularly good 15 years ago.
“In Angus, since 2012, we have built five new primary schools in Arbroath and two secondary school campuses in Brechin and Forfar.
“That I think is another legacy which I thing comes down to his first administration.
“So I would ask you to observe a minute’s silence in respect.”
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