Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils could be merged into one of between six and 10 new regional authorities under Scottish government plans.
Under the SNP's new blueprint for government, Scotland's 32 local authorities are set to be folded and merged into as few as six.
The plans mark the biggest local authority shake-up in more than three decades since the old Grampian Council was divided up.
Under the proposals, a new two-tier system could be introduced, with regional authorities dealing with major issues such as education and economic growth, while smaller community authorities would also be formed for more localised issues.
Between 120 and 160 community authorities would contribute to issues including licensing and town centre improvements.
The planned reforms have now been shared with Holyrood's committees and council umbrella body Cosla before proceeding to consultation.