informed so that I can raise issues with Cambus, they will improve and our service will become more reliable.

We set our budget for next year at the February meeting of full Council. The level of Council Tax for district services for 2000/2001 is £60.85, an additional cost of £3.35 a year for the average taxpayer, which is approximately 7p a week. This additional income, together with drawing on reserves, will allow us to significantly improve and expand the range of services which we deliver, particularly those identified by local communities through the Citizen’s Panel, including: Crime, Transport, Open Spaces and footpaths, Environmental issues, LA21, Arts strategy and supporting villages via community appraisals.

You will all be aware of the forthcoming elections for a Mayor of London. This is just a part of the Government’s plans to change the way local government works. They have already set up Regional Agencies, but these are QUANGOs, with no accountability to you the electorate. We are in the East of England Region, which covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The local authorities in these six Counties have joined together into a Regional Assembly to work with the Government’s Agency, which is called Go-East. I represent East Cambridgeshire District Council on this body. As well as seeking to bring some democratic accountability to Go-East we also lobby for the Region within the European Union. It is generally thought that the Government will eventually re-organise Counties and Districts into a single level of Government, similar to the Unitary authority in Peterborough with a Regional level. The big question is whether that Regional level will be elected by local people or appointed by Central government as it is at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Government has told us to re-organise how we run the District Council. They have given us just three options for the new structure. Under all three options, Councillors would be elected to represent wards, as happens at the moment. The options are:

1 A directly elected Mayor with a Manager. The Mayor would be elected by everyone across East Cambs and would appoint a professional manager to run the Council. The Mayor would decide the policy of the Council, with the Councillors scrutinising the Mayor’s decisions.

2 A directly elected Mayor with a Cabinet. The Mayor would be elected by everyone across East Cambs and would appoint about 5 Councillors to serve in the Cabinet. The Mayor and the Cabinet would decide the policy of the Council. The other Councillors would scrutinise the Cabinet’s decisions.

3 A Council Leader and Cabinet. Councillors would elect a Leader from amongst themselves. Then either the Council would elect the Cabinet or the Leader would select their Cabinet of about 5 people. The Leader and the Cabinet would decide the policy of the Council. The other Councillors would scrutinise the Cabinet’s decisions.

The Council is consulting widely on which of the three options local people want. I would be interested to hear your views.

I will not be having Councillor’s surgeries for a few months, because I am expecting our first child in early May. But I am still happy to receive ‘phone calls (01638 742509), e-mails (ccane@cix.co.uk) or letters (34 Swaffham Road, Reach, CB5 0HZ) with any problems, ideas or queries.

Charlotte Cane