dinner to mark Hamilton's 200 years of incorporation are very nice indeed.

However, the festivities would be a great deal better if they were accompanied by a bit more democracy.

After the parties and the parades and the concerts are forgotten it will be remembered that the Corporation of Hamilton celebrated the City's Bicentennial as a body which is elected by a limited franchise and which meets in secret.

It will be remembered that the voters of Hamilton took a step forward and elected the first woman, Sonia Grant, to the Corporation of Hamilton in the anniversary year. We can only hope that Miss Grant's election heralds a trend.

As much as we welcome Miss Grant's election, it is not enough to save the Bicentennial. The truth is that we may never know how well or how badly Miss Grant represents her voters. Like the rest of the Corporation she will speak in secret. She will also vote in secret and agree to spend or not to spend public money in secret.

We think that there is no reason for the Corporation of Hamilton to meet in private except that members want to stifle any talk about their decisions. But maybe we are wrong. Maybe things do go on in secret that everyone would be better off knowing about. The point is that we do not know and the public does not know. What we do know is that since Hamilton is very much the centre of Bermuda, decisions involve us all and involve our visitors. It is sheer nonsense that they are taken in private in 1993 in order to protect elected members from some small criticisms, or even large criticisms or, perhaps, perfect performances which would never justify any criticism at all.

None of this is to say that the City is badly run. Indeed it seems to be quite well run and it is very well maintained. We would, however, have preferred to see the money spent on bicentennial festivities used to turn the waterfront away from car parking and toward useful and more attractive purposes. We think the Corporation could have made their big year lasting with a waterfront renewal plan. It needs to be done, so perhaps Government should take it over.

We also think the Corporation should take a hard look at itself. At the rate mayors turn over, Miss Grant has no hope of becoming mayor. We would guess that if you want to be mayor these days you have to join the Common Council at the age of nine. It seems to us that it would be sensible to give more people a chance to serve on the Corporation and to become mayor. It would also be sensible to get some new blood and some younger faces.

The change could be greatly accelerated if mayors served for three years only.

Give more people a chance to be mayor. Give some new people a chance to serve without waiting for people to die. Open the windows. Let some fresh air in and let the voters in too.

Surely, after 200 years it's time for democratic change.