THERE is still time to cast your vote to say how you think the council should re-organise its structure in the biggest ever shake-up of local government.

As part of a massive consultation exercise, Blackburn with Darwen Council has been asking local people which system they would prefer from the three options the Government has outlined.

These options include an mayor directly elected by voters in the borough who will delegate day to day running of the council to an unelected manager, or a cabinet of councillors responsible for different council departments. In these cases the mayor would have a political role, very different to the civic duties currently carried out by the mayor.

The third option, which has been piloted by Blackburn with Darwen's council since last April, would have the council run by a leader - usually from the largest political party in the council and a cabinet of councillors he or she appoints.

This final option is Blackburn with Darwen authority's preferred system.

One of the main aims of the re-organisation is to make the council more accountable and let people see more easily who is responsible for making the decisions which affect their lives, rather than the old committee system which many find difficult to understand.

The government hopes these changes will make more people take an interest in the workings of their local council.

As part of the consultation exercise the local authority has asked its Citizens Panel what they think about the different models.

The council has also publicised the options in the council's own newspaper The Shuttle, and sent out leaflets to homes across the borough asking people to vote in favour of the option they would like.

Two earlier opinion polls suggest overwhelming support for a council leader with a cabinet to represent them, govern the borough and make decisions about their local services.

The closing date for the forms is February 25. A council spokeswoman said forms are still being sent to homes in the borough and the authority will not reveal how many have responded until after the closing date.