Debate panel: From left Dr Michael Macaulay, Ray Mallon, Peter Barron, Stuart Hill and Alan Charlton.
ALMOST 150 people gathered at Darlington Art Centre this evening to hear arguments for and against an elected mayor for the town.
The debate which was organised by The Northern Echo and chaired by editor Peter Barron.
The panel of four members included representatives from both sides of the argument, as well as Middlesbrough elected mayor Ray Mallon and local government expert and Teesside University lecturer Michael Macaulay.
At the end of the debate, a show of hands revealed around two-thirds of those present were in favour of an elected mayor.
* A full report of the debate will be published in the Darlington edition of The Northern Echo tomorrow.
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