Hamilton Mayor Lawson Mapp is to meet with the Premier "as soon as possible" to call for legislative reforms for the Corporation.

Mr. Mapp, who was returned to office with a landslide 87 per cent of the vote last week, is also keen to introduce Town Hall meetings as the first step in opening up the inner workings of the City's governing body.

The Mayor will be discussing updating the 1923 Municipalities Act with Premier Alex Scott, both to try and gain members privileges barring them from being sued - as enjoyed by House of Assembly members - and also to discuss remuneration for Corporation representatives.

The Town Hall meetings would be only for the eligible Corporation voters, of which there are 372, although Mr. Mapp would be keen to see the Press be invited to attend the quarterly gatherings.

"The issue of making the Corporation more public is an important one," Mr. Mapp told The Royal Gazette.

"To get a toe into the door we will be looking to introduce Town Hall meetings every three months which, of course, we would like to see the Press attend.

"It will give members of the Corporation an opportunity to air their views and allow the free exchange of ideas.

"And when we have the toe in, we would be looking to get the whole foot in the door and have our meetings open to the Press and to the general public so they can come and see what we are doing. It is one of the things that I would like to discuss with the Premier."

The debate into making Corporation meetings public was pushed into the headlines by Graeme Outerbridge who contested the mayoral election, although he polled only 14 of the 120 votes cast.

Mr. Outerbridge, the National Liberal Party vice chairman, is keen on the principles of open Government and simply by standing, to create the first contested mayoral election in more than a decade, he went some way to taking the issue further.

Mr. Mapp wants to see the Municipalities Act updated in the next Legislative session both for the benefit of Hamilton and St. George's, although he admits it will take a back seat behind more pressing issues for the nation.

Running an open and accountable Corporation is especially important at the moment given the incredibly low turn-out for the election with much credibility lost during this campaign, with only 120 turning out to vote and Mr. Outerbridge leaving even before the returning officers' announcement of the winner had been made.

Less than a third of eligible voters bothered to take advantage of their constitutional right, a huge drop from the 71 percent of the then 549 registered voters when William Boyle beat Cecil Dismont in the last contested election in 1994. The previous contested election before that had been 60 years earlier.

"I was very disappointed to see so few people come to the polls," continued Mr. Mapp.

"I would like to have a voter drive. When we send out the tax bills, I would like to see a questionnaire go with them so people can get more involved and suggests ideas.

"It is very sad to see. In other countries, people have shed blood for the right to vote, people walk miles and miles and miles to exercise this right but here people have stayed away."

But Mr. Mapp, a sign-writer by trade who worked on applying the gold leaf to the crest above the entrance to City Hall, was pleased to have stood in a contested election and believes there could be a place for Mr. Outerbridge in the Corporation fold in the future.

"I spent the best part of eight hours outside City Hall talking with Mr. Outerbridge and I believe he is a visionary with many good ideas," he added.

"We talked about the future and I would like to see him come in the future as a councillor or alderman and go through the same process previous Mayors have.

"To come in from the outside to stand for Mayor is a brave thing but one day he could fulfil that role if he were to enter from the more traditional route."

Other issues that Mr. Mapp believes are vital for the Corporation include parking, developing the waterfront, re-energising north Hamilton and traffic congestion.