In next week's referendum, Darlington voters will make a momentus decision: should they have a directly-elected mayor to run the council?, ahead of Friday's big debate, which The Northern Echo is organising, the "yes" and "no" campaigns outline their cases.

THIS referendum is all about you having a choice. At present, only 29 Labour councillors pick the most powerful politician in Darlington. This person is called "the Leader". If you want it to stay like this, you should vote "no".

But if you want your say in who holds power, you should vote "yes" to an elected mayor.

Most people did not vote in May's council elections. If you were one of those, it may have been because you did not like any of the parties or you felt party politics should not operate at council level. Perhaps you felt a vote for one, two or three councillors would make no difference to how the council is run.

The "yes" campaign believes you should have the choice to decide the best person to run Darlington council, regardless of political label.

Candidates for mayor would need to have a broad appeal to get elected - from the leafy avenues of the West End to the greens of Firthmoor, and from the villages to North Road.

If you voted Tory in May...

Your party received thousands more votes than the Labour Party but has fewer councillors. An elected mayor would give your party a second chance to have a powerful say in the future of the borough. If you voted Labour in the last council elections, you still had no say in deciding who the leader of the council should be. The Labour Party would have to work harder to stand a chance of winning an election for a mayor. It would be good for democracy.

If you voted Liberal Democrat in May...

Your many votes did not get many councillors. A mayor elected by the people is far more likely to respect your vote and give a better share of decision-making to your councillors than at present.

And if you voted for someone else...

Independent mayors are very successful in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.

ONLY one candidate can win each election but the true winners would be democracy and the people of Darlington. The present Darlington council has made mistakes by failing to listen to what people are saying. From Tesco to Hurworth School, from the High Row to the River Skerne footpath at Haughton, the council has blundered from u-turn to fiasco.

Current leader John Williams has survived for ten years due to the support of his Labour Group.

An elected mayor would be directly accountable to the voters in a way that he clearly is not.

In England, there are Tory, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent mayors. No council has decided to go back to the less-democratic system that operates in Darlington. This is because the people believe change provides value for money.

In Middlesbrough and Hartlepool, councillors of many parties work as a united team under the elected mayor for the good of their town. Surely this is better than what we have in Darlington?

Cost and efficiency

We believe that a dedicated, full-time elected mayor is likely to cost less than the present leader and cabinet arrangement.

Darlington has nine cabinet members, including the leader - the maximum number allowed.

An elected mayor could streamline the number of cabinet positions. The Government thinks an elected mayor needs less than a handful of cabinet members to do a good job. Our estimate of overall savings to the taxpayer is as much as £50,000 every year.

Much more important are the improvements to be achieved in the quality of services and value for money. Darlington council is a multi-million pound business where the services provided in schools, social services, parks, refuse collection and street security affect everyone's quality of life. Improvement in these areas and more is not just possible but absolutely necessary.

An elected mayor is far more likely to be able to attract Government funds. Ken Livingstone, London's directly elected mayor, has won millions to improve public transport. In Darlington, we do not even have a bus-station and you have to risk your life to get from Post House Wynd to a bus stop - this in what is claimed to be a "pedestrianised" town centre.

The ceremonial mayor

The pretended fuss over the alleged demise of the existing traditional mayor is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide the real issues that our campaign has highlighted in a positive fashion.

The charitable and ceremonial duties are valued by us and could continue exactly as at present.

The Government simply requires us to decide on a different title. Many titles have been suggested, but Shakespeare was right when he said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

The elected mayor would create a better relationship with community and business leaders as well as the council workforce. The elected mayor would be a true voice speaking up for Darlington in the corridors of power.

Of course, an elected mayor is not the answer to all our problems. Getting Darlington Football Club promotion is clearly outside his or her job description.

But the job will be to promote Darlington as the place to live, to work, to learn and to have fun.

The "yes" campaign would not be asking for your support unless we believed, sincerely and passionately, that an elected mayor will make a difference for the better.

The elderly, the young, the unemployed, the shopper, people with disabilities, families of all descriptions and the vulnerable all deserve a bigger say in council decisions and a better deal than they are getting now. By voting "yes" to an elected mayor, you will be making a difference