MAJOR decisions about the government of York are being made behind tightly-closed doors, opposition leader Steve Galloway claimed today.

The accusation follows major concern voiced by the Evening Press that City of York Council's cabinet system, introduced nearly a year ago, could allow decisions to be made by a handful of Labour councillors in private.

But council leader Rod Hills gave a cast-iron guarantee that this would not happen.

Today Liberal Democrat leader Coun Galloway claimed: "Fifty per cent of Executive meetings are held in private."

Before the system was implemented, Coun Hills told the Evening Press that decisions would not be made in secret, unless legal reasons dictated they had to be.

He said: "The new system has been designed to achieve greater openness."

But Coun Galloway today claimed that the fortnightly public meeting of the Executive is often preceded by one held in private.

He said: "This meeting is talked about quite openly in the council as the private Executive.

"The reports it gets go to the public meeting afterwards, but the debate and the decisions have already been made. The public meeting is just for show, and is stage-managed."

Coun Hills today admitted some meetings were held in private.

But he continued to claim that decisions were made in public.

"We do meet to discuss issues, but there is a formal and public meeting of the executive, and that is when the decisions are made," he said.

"Members of the public are invited and can speak at these formal meetings. Although there is discussion at private meetings, decisions are made in public."

Coun Hills conceded in February that the new system did have faults. He said people had not been kept properly informed about budget decisions which control spending and council tax levels and are the most important made by the council.

Under the previous committee system, the whole process could be watched by the public. This year, budget proposals were concocted in private and revealed only days before they were to be voted on. Today the council leader said: "The system is not perfect at the moment, and we know that. But we have got it up and running and we are now trying to smooth the rough edges out, hopefully this year."

In the next few days, every household in the city is expected to receive a leaflet asking them if they want the cabinet system to continue.

But Government-dictated alternatives of two types of mayoral system have been criticised for being less democratic - putting more power into the hands of one elected person.

Coun Galloway said city residents should be asked if they want to return to the old committee system.

"It is unfair to exclude a system which many feel has adapted well to changing circumstances," he said.

"The committee system promoted public discussion and was transparent. People could see how each councillor voted after a full and proper debate."

But Coun Hills said: "If we went back to the old system, Government legislation would mean that we have to change it to one of the three new systems in a few months time anyway. Maintaining committees is not an option open to us."

Updated: 11:27 Monday, April 16, 2001