taxpayers.

But the public will still not be allowed into regular meetings of the Corporation in the near future.

Newly-elected Mayor of Hamilton the Rt. Wor. William (Billy) Boyle took no time in starting his regime of change yesterday.

Mr. Boyle promised the Corporation would become more visible under his term of office which began on Tuesday night. He promised that committee chairmen would be accountable for decisions they made.

And he now wants Aldermen and common councillors to meet the taxpayers, made up of businessmen who own properties in the City and the few remaining residents.

"I want to hold a meeting to tell the taxpayers what we are doing,'' he said.

"But it will also be open for them to bring their own gripes for us to look at.'' Mr. Boyle warned that it would be some months before the meeting was organised because new members would have to settle into committees. He believed there would be few changes in the chairmanships of committees.

He said there might be a problem finding a theatre big enough to seat the taxpayers if they all arrived.

"You know the problem with these meetings is that not a lot of people bother to attend. But if we do get a good turn-out we could make it a regular thing to gauge people's feelings,'' he said.

However the open meetings will not be a signal to the Corporation to make its regular meetings and committees open to public scrutiny.

Mr. Boyle said it was not part of the Corporation's agenda to discuss the matter but he had his own personal view. "I do not think our meetings will be open until we get the same privileges they get up in Parliament,'' he added.

"It would open up the possibility of someone coming along and deciding to sue us.'' Members of Parliament have "privileged speech'' in the House of Assembly, meaning they are protected from legal action. Mr. Boyle said: "I do not think the members would complain about opening our meetings if we had that privilege.'' Mr. Boyle won Tuesday's election with a convincing majority over previous mayor Mr. Cecil Dismont, who had held the post for six years.