THIS week marks the fourth anniversary of the 2005 Torbay Mayoral Election. If I had served a 'normal' four years term of office, I would be facing an important appointment with the electorate right now, if I wanted to stand again.

Now is an appropriate time to take stock and consider whether this experiment in democracy has achieved anything for Torbay.

It is not just a case of is Nick Bye any good as mayor, but has having an elected mayor made much of a difference for Torbay?

The elected mayor way of doing things has hardly taken off in the way its advocates might have hoped.

Torbay was the last place (of 12) to adopt the system, Stoke-on-Trent has voted to go back to the leader and cabinet model and, although the Conservative party is proposing to hold a simultaneous mayoral referendum in the UK's 12 largest cities, where Conservatives do actually have a majority of seats in town halls, there is precious little enthusiasm among councillors for having a directly elected mayor.

In some ways the model is flawed because the mayor does not have the power you might imagine.

In any organisation, you are not really in control unless you are in charge of the hiring and firing and hold the purse strings.

In the town hall, it is the councillors, not the mayor, who form the appointments committee (although I am a member of it) and who have ultimate control of the council's budget.

Having said all that, I believe there is a good story to tell in Torbay and I am proud of the record of the last four years.

Above all, it has given Torbay political stability and a sense of direction after a very difficult period when the council struggled to come to terms with unitary responsibilities.

Torbay was pretty much named and shamed for poor performance and the politicians were swept in and out by a capricious electorate.

We had five different leaders of the council in seven years from 1998 until 2005.

Name me any £100million-plus organisation which could flourish in such circumstances?

I would list the top 10 achievements of the last four years as follows:

1 Improved services, including adult social care and housing services. This is core business for the council.

Even though it rarely makes the headlines, the lion's share of our budget goes on adult social care.

We have the highest percentage of over 80s of any council with social care responsibility, so it is important we get this right.

We deliver services in partnership with the Primary Care Trust. Supported living flats are being built on the old Dunboyne site.

Overall, the council was rated as two stars, improving well, by the Audit Commission earlier in the year, with much higher ratings for most individual service areas.

2 We are doing much, much more for children and young people than ever before. We are part way through a £60million plus school rebuilding programme, with Torquay Community College now taking shape.

Schools' performance has improved and this year's GCSE results were excellent.

There are new 'family centres', more places to go and things to do for children including improved play facilities, the marvellous Schools' Festival each winter and a travelling youth service.

There is more early intervention work, including a family intervention project and a widely acclaimed Youth Offending Team.

3 Most residents can see for themselves the place is looking better. The parks, gardens and beaches are well maintained and I am proud of our Green Flags, Blue Flags, Quality Awards and South West in Bloom accolades.

The town centres are pretty much free of litter and we are making progress elsewhere.

New coloured lights have been installed, loos refurbished, car parks repaired after years of neglect. Rock Walk will look fantastic next year — it had to be made safe.

4 There is a clear focus on regeneration. New projects taking shape include the Brixham Fish Quay, new business parks at Whiterock and Edginswell, the Paignton town centre library and the Berry Head Visitor Centre.

Torre Abbey has been restored (first phase) on time and on budget, the business incubator units at Lymington Road are a great success and private investment at the Cary Arms, new hotels and various attractions has been encouraged.

The Mayoral Vision has led to a great deal of interest in investment in Torbay. Even if some plans are controversial, at least we now have folk knocking at the door.

5 The Business Community is working much better in partnership with the council, rather than just taking pot shots through the paper.

There is a respected Business Forum, and a sense of optimism engendered by Lucy Ball's Town Centres Company and Carolyn Custerson's Tourism Strategy.

A new economic development company has been approved which will build on the success of the Torbay Development Agency and have a much more entrepreneurial culture, with greater independence from the council.

6 I really do believe I have earned my money as an advocate for Torbay, if nothing else. Although we still face a substantial shortfall on concessionary bus fares, we have certainly made our case at the highest level and have been successful with funds for 'Seachange' regeneration, My Place youth facilities, play money, transport and regional infrastructure funds.

The Brixham Fish Quay money followed a visit from Phil Woolas and we still have our fingers crossed for the Kingskerswell Bypass.

We were not even on the regional list in 2005 although, in fairness, there is still a long way to go with this project and I am now receiving very mixed messages from further up the line.

7 Torbay is becoming safer through effective partnership working with the police. Safety late at night around Torquay Harbour is much improved and there has been a substantial reduction in incidents involving foreign language students.

8 There is now a real cultural 'buzz' in the place with much more being made of our Agatha Christie connections, for example, also the accolade of Geopark status.

The Antony Gormley exhibition at the Spanish Barn in Torquay was a great success and talking point.

There are endless festivals and cultural events, many supported by Yours Truly.

9 We are working hard for the most disadvantaged in our community: the new Factory Row homeless hostel is something we should take pride in, and support provided there will help turn lives around.

Plans for the Enterprise Project are exciting national interest and the Neighbourhood Management Project at Hele should provide lessons for elsewhere in the Bay.

10 All this is happening while council tax bills in Torbay stay below those in neighbouring areas and year-on-year we are delivering lower Council Tax increases.

Quite simply, the town hall is being run in a more business like fashion, especially now we have our new 'commissioners' in place.

Our accommodation review, which will result in a new Civic Hub at Castle Circus, will also save millions over the years.

Of course, this week's column does sound as though I am blowing my own trumpet and I accept there is lots more to do. But against a dismal national economic backdrop and, even now, rather a lot of little local political squabbles, I would suggest things are on the up in Torbay and I may even have had something to do with it.