A CONSULTATION exercise has revealed Darlington people are divided over which model of local government is best for the town.

Darlington Borough Council carried out widespread public consultation on new political management arrangements.

People could either choose to have a council leader with a cabinet - the system being used at the moment - a directly elected mayor with cabinet, or a directly elected mayor with a council manager. Darlington council favours the leader/cabinet system, but the consultation exercise has failed to provide them with a clear-cut preferred option.

A postal survey of randomly chosen electors resulted in 43 per cent in favour of a leader/cabinet. But 57 per cent opted for the other choices.

There was a similar result after the publication of reply slips in the Town Crier and The Northern Echo.

At a special meeting of Darlington council tomorrow night, members will be told that a referendum could be held over the two most popular options - leader/cabinet and mayor/cabinet - but council officers do not believe there would be any benefit.

They will be recommended to approve the leader/cabinet system, despite there being a majority for the two mayoral options.

Councillor Tony Richmond, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said he believes people should have been given a fourth option, for an improved committee system.

"The current system means an unelected cabinet of nine councillors are controlling democracy in Darlington, instead of the 52 elected councillors," he said.

l Councillors in Teesdale will be advised to vote in favour of adopting a modified committee system when they meet today.

Teesdale District Council is one of the last authorities in the region that is yet to decide which system to adopt, but officers will recommend that members select a modified committee system, during a meeting of the full council