Airdrie Central is one of the twenty-one wards used to elect members of the North Lanarkshire Council.^[2] It currently elects four councillors and, as its name suggests, covers central and western parts of Airdrie (including Cairnhill, Coatdyke, Gartlea, Rawyards and Whinhall neighbourhoods). Established in 2007 returning three councillors, a boundary review in 2017 resulted in a very minor change (the addition of a few streets in Burnfoot) and slight population increase, but this was assessed to be sufficient for a fourth seat. The ward had a population of 16,354 in 2019.^[3]