Sweeping changes to the way Birmingham City Council is run, including the number of councillors and whether community or parish councils are good idea, will be put to residents over the next few weeks.
The city council has launched its 'Community Governance Review' which will also look at the establishment of a Sutton Coldfield Town Council following a petition signed by 10,000 people.
The review also comes in the wake of the Government-backed Kerslake Report which claimed politicians were too remote from the communities they served and that its devolution initiatives over many years - designed to give powers for local services to communities - had failed.
Only last month, budgets for the city's ten district committees were withdrawn because local councillors complained they had no influence over spending on contracts, such as those for leisure centres and parks, which were set by the council's leadership.
Key questions in the consultation focus on whether new council structures will lead to improved services and whether ward committees, neighbourhood forums or even parish councils, are the preferred way to run local services.
Council leader Sir Albert Bore said: "This is not a paper exercise. We are committed to creating a fair, prosperous and democratic city and, as part of that, we believe every citizen of Birmingham should have a voice.
"Our public services exist to create opportunities and independence for all and how they are governed matters.
"I would urge everyone to get involved in this consultation - let us know your ideas, thoughts and concerns about the future governance of this city."
A group of senior councillors from all political parties, who have already been working on plans for Sutton Coldfield following the petition in 2013, has been expanded and will look at the whole city.
The royal town has been part of Birmingham since 1974 and detailed proposals for its council are set out in the consultation.
However, they fall short of what petitioners had hoped for such as transfer of responsibility for major roads and transport policy or planning.
But the steps towards a town council have been welcomed by councillor Rob Pocock (Lab Sutton Vesey), who said: "This is a historic moment in the long campaign for greater independence for Sutton Coldfield.
"If enough people respond positively to the idea in this consultation, we will win through to the final stage - a resident ballot - in the summer."
The consultation runs until March 30 and will be followed up with further talks in the summer.
A series of four meetings have been set up for people to discuss the plans, taking place between 4pm and 6pm on the following dates:
* March 16 at South Yardley Library, Yardley Road
* March 17 at The Beeches Management Centre, Selly Oak Road
* March 18 Newtown Community Centre, Newbury Road
* March 19 Yenton Primary School, Chester Road, Erdington
