Talks between councils and the Scottish Government over this year’s budget have “hit a new low”, according to local government organisation Cosla.
Its president Councillor David O’Neill said councils heard about the deadline for accepting the 2016/17 funding deal from the media.
Talks took place beforehand between Finance Secretary John Swinney and council leaders during which, Mr O’Neill says, the date was not mentioned.
The funding agreement includes maintaining the council tax freeze, £250 million for integrating health and social care services, and maintaining the pupil/teacher ratio in schools.
Cosla says councils are facing £350 million of cuts, while some local authorities are considering breaking the council tax freeze.
The deadline for accepting the deal has been put back to February 2.
Mr O’Neill said: “Councils hearing that the date for councils to accept the new deal via the media is simply unacceptable.
“Cosla’s political group leaders and I met with Mr Swinney yesterday and not once did he mention this date. Yet he can tell the press within 20 minutes of our meeting ending.
“That aside the fact that he has only given us an extra three days to accept the worst financial deal in over a decade simply demonstrates Mr Swinney’s misunderstanding of local councils processes – if a council has not met to set its budget already or does not have a council meeting scheduled for tomorrow or Monday, this extension is useless.
“Given Mr Swinney only furnished councils with the final proposals for the settlement today it is difficult to see how he expects any council to comply with this timescale.
“I would like to reciprocate and tell Mr Swinney via the media that the package of measures on the table for local Government remains totally unacceptable to us.”