Welcome to Election week, where residents of York and North Yorkshire will be voting in their first elected Mayor.
This is an historic election, a result of continuing devolution efforts, which involves combining the regional powers of City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council into one York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The Mayor, who will be elected on Thursday 2nd May, will serve a 4 year term and will hold numerous responsibilities, including those devolved to them from central government in Westminster.
These will include:
- Responsibility for 30-year Mayoral Investment Fund and the powers to borrow against funds
- Full devolution of the Adult Education Budget
- Powers to improve the supply and quality of housing and secure the development of land or infrastructure
- Powers and funds to improve transport through a consolidated, devolved, multi-year transport settlement
- Responsibilities for community safety and the powers to appoint a Deputy Mayor who will carry out many of the duties currently held by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
There will be six candidates on the ballot this Thursday, get to know them here:
Keane Duncan – The Conservative Party
Kevin Foster – The Green Party*
Felicity Cunliffe-Lister – Liberal Democrats
David Skaith – Labour and Co-operative Party*
To find out more about the voting process, visit the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website here.
*Sadly, the Labour and Green party candidates, David Skaith and Kevin Foster, were not available to speak to us so will not be included in our coverage.