The cost of holding a referendum on whether there should be a directly-elected mayor will be £170,000.

More money will then have to be spent if there is an election for the post.

Brighton and Hove Council is recommended by officials to allocate £326,000 in its budget for the referendum and election.

Results in other councils have consistently shown at least three out of five people like the idea of directly-elected mayors and there is no reason to suppose that the outcome in Brighton and Hove would be any different.

Under new legislation, big councils such as Brighton and Hove have to choose between the current system of having a leader of the council plus a cabinet or having a directly-elected mayor.

This mayor would rule either with a cabinet or a council manager. In either case, the decision would have to be approved by a referendum.

Cost of any referendum and subsequent mayoral election would be substantially reduced if either could be dovetailed in with the General Election, expected to be held in May, and the next local elections.

The policy and resources committee on Wednesday is being asked to agree on consultation with people about which form of council they would prefer.

It is likely that the consultation will take place before Christmas so that the council will be ready as soon as possible to decide when to hold a referendum.

Officials think the autumn is a better time to ask people for their views than during Christmas or in the quiet months of January and February.

A report says: "The timetable for consultation is extremely tight and it is important that we start the process as soon as is reasonable."