WE are being regaled with little posters and leaflets reminding us that there is to be a referendum of residents to decide the future format of West Devon Borough Council.

Unfortunately, there is no information provided regarding the pros and cons of the choices we are being asked to decide upon.

How can the people of West Devon be expected to know what decision to make when the ramifications of the choices available are not explained? It is even more perplexing when maintaining the present system is not an option available to us.

Regrettably, the leaflet sent to each household does not illustrate the fact that the mayor and the cabinet will be controlling the council, neither the other way round nor with equal status, but actually running the whole show.

From information available from other parts of the country, it appears that where a mayor and cabinet system has been the decision, it has resulted in a form of dictatorship where the cabinet consists solely of one political party, to the exclusion of any other councillors or consideration of the views of any other councillors.

This has rendered the electing of a council a waste of time. Decisions are made by the cabinet without recourse to the council proper (because there is no longer a need to have the decision of the full council).

The cabinet has the power and the cabinet uses it, just like the

cabinet of the national government. It might be 'good fun' politics, but it is no good to the community at large. Worst of all, it is not democratic.

Given that the status quo is not an option, the best choice seems to be to reject the prospect of a mayor and cabinet, but with the electors insisting that the council be controlled by the councillors and not by the officers.

The present system is not the best in the world and has grown more remote as various 'initiatives' have been enacted, but what is proposed will completely divorce the authority from the electorate.

Brian Salt

Cruets

Buckland Monachorum