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Mayoral election to cost more than £2 million

Wednesday, 17 January 2024 23:00

The election to choose the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire is set to cost taxpayers £2.2m, according to a report.

Mayoral election to cost more than £2 million The election to choose the first ever mayor of York and North Yorkshire is set to cost taxpayers £2.2m, according to a report. Voters across the region will go to the polls on May 2 to choose who will lead a new combined authority, with the mayor also taking over the powers of current Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe. Officers at North Yorkshire Council have drawn up a report that details the new mayor’s budget in their first year, which confirms they will receive £18m from the government’s mayoral investment fund. This is the sum the mayor is set to receive every year to invest into local priorities such as transport infrastructure or housing schemes. The budget for 2024/25 is spread across 15 months to help prepare for the formation of the new authority and £6m has already been allocated towards staff and election costs as well as other overheads. Over the course of the whole year, a budget of £4.5m will be spent on staff salaries. City of York and North Yorkshire councillors who sit on a committee that is overseeing the creation of the combined authority are set to approve the budget at a meeting on Monday. Details of the budget are available to read here. Who is standing to be mayor? Pateley Bridge man and former police officer Keith Tordoff will stand as an independent after previously announcing he would run for the Yorkshire Party. The Green Party has chosen former soldier Kevin Foster as its candidate. The Conservative Party has picked Malton councillor and journalist Keane Duncan, who is currently in charge of transport on North Yorkshire Council. Labour has chosen local business owner and chair of the York High Street Forum David Skaith. The Liberal Democrats has not yet decided who its candidate will be. By Thomas Barrett, Local Democracy Reporter Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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