AS WELL as giving a dash of pzazz to dull local government, with proposals for US-style mayors and electronic voting booths in supermarkets, Labour's planned shake-up of the town halls evidently recognises the need for more democracy inside them.

For much of the widespread voter disinterest in the way our towns and cities are run is due to a belief that ordinary people can do little to change the set-up or political control of councils.

Too often, where one party dominates, the council is run by a power-grabbing junta-style inner cabinet, with most councillors reduced to the role of compliant foot-soldiers slavishly following orders - just has been alleged about the new Blackburn with Darwen Council.

And the government's reforming White Paper proposals to make local government more accountable obviously recognises the dangers in this kind of development.

But if the options that include the direct election of salaried mayors on four-year terms and the yearly election of councillors may make town halls more answerable to the electorate and the voters themselves more interested and involved in council affairs, the government may perhaps be going too far in trying to stimulate this.

For voters may quickly go down with election fatigue if polls - and the regular referendums on local issues that are also proposed - are taking place so frequently.

Furthermore, while the present entrenched political dominance widespread in many town halls needs to be challenged, the prospect of annual chop and change in council control might work against good long-term strategic planning.

The plan for elected mayors is interesting and excitingbut, rather than turning off the voters with too many polls and too much politicking, it would be better if the government opted for municipal elections to be held every three years, with every seat being contested.

This would do away with the present system that sees only a proportion of the seats up for grabs each time and, in turn, disenchants many voters who see they can do little to change the overall control of the council.

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