- oh ', ▁though ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁pron unci ation ▁is ▁' Pro - v ost ' ▁as ▁written . ▁ ▁Scotland ▁Histor ically ▁the ▁prov ost ▁was ▁the ▁chief ▁magistr ate ▁or ▁conv ener ▁of ▁a ▁Scottish ▁burg h ▁council , ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁mayor ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁world . ▁Pre vious ▁to ▁the ▁en act ment ▁of ▁the ▁Town ▁Coun c ils ▁( Sc ot land ) ▁Act ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁various ▁titles ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁different ▁burg hs , ▁but ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁standard ised ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁gover ning ▁body ▁as ▁“ the ▁prov ost , ▁magistr ates , ▁and ▁coun c ill ors ” ▁of ▁the ▁burg h . ▁After ▁the ▁re - organisation ▁of ▁local ▁government ▁in ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Lord ▁Prov ost ▁was ▁reserved ▁to ▁Aber de en , ▁D und ee , ▁Edinburgh ▁and ▁Glasgow , ▁while ▁other ▁district ▁coun c ils ▁could ▁choose ▁the ▁title ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁conv ener ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁twenty - two ▁coun c ils ▁had ▁prov ost s . ▁ ▁Similar ▁prov isions ▁were ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Local ▁Government ▁etc . ▁( Sc ot land ) ▁Act ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁which ▁established ▁the ▁ 3 2 ▁modern ▁unit ary ▁council ▁areas ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁M embers ▁of ▁each ▁local ▁government ▁area ▁elect ▁a ▁coun c ill