With a month left until the York and North Yorkshire Mayor election - we have pieced together all of the information you need to know about what it will mean for the region.

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 have gone with Felicity Cunliffe-Lister for the election.

Finally, Paul Haslam will be running as the independent candidate in the upcoming Mayor election.

What will be the role of the new mayor for York and North Yorkshire?

The mayor will act as an influential figurehead for York and North Yorkshire for a devolution deal for the region. Devolution will bring more decision-making powers and millions of pounds in funding to York and North Yorkshire, and benefits are set to include new and better-paid jobs and improved skills and training to more affordable housing. The mayor, who will serve a four-year term, will develop close links with the Government to secure more funding and decision-making powers as the devolution deal evolves.

What is a combined authority?

The mayor will chair the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, which launched on February 1, 2024. A combined authority is where a group of councils work together across a larger area. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has been created by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council. It will use money and powers, that up to now have been held by central government, and work with local leaders and communities to invest to make York and North Yorkshire a better place to live, work and do business.

What are the powers and responsibilities of the York and North Yorkshire mayor?

The mayor and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will have certain powers and responsibilities, devolved to them by central government. In summary, these 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 to carry out many of the duties currently held by the York and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Who is in charge and how are decisions made?

The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will be led by the mayor, who is elected on May 2, 2024. They will chair the combined authority’s board, which will also include:

  • Two councillors from City of York Council.
  • Two councillors from North Yorkshire Council.
  • The chair of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority’s business committee – this is an advisory role, and the business committee’s chair is not a voting member of the combined authority.

The combined authority’s board is supported by an executive team of officers. The executive team’s role is to:

  • Provide economic analysis and insights to support decision-making and prioritising of combined authority activity.
  • Work in partnership to generate ideas for the future investments that the combined authority might want to consider and bid for future investment.
  • Deliver the programme of investment of the mayor and the combined authority.
  • Successfully operate in accordance with the transparency and compliance framework for local government.

What difference will it make?

The mayor for York and North Yorkshire will lead investment of £540 million to be spent over the next 30 years. The mayor will work with local leaders to bring more money into the region to invest in the issues that matter to the public. The mayor will be a strong voice and a champion for York and North Yorkshire’s businesses and communities. They will provide key leadership in public safety, taking on the role and functions of the police, fire and crime commissioner. From day one of the combined authority, which launched on February 1, work has been underway to support projects. This includes supporting investment already allocated such as £12.7 million to deliver more than 700 new homes on brownfield sites and a further £10 million to support transition to net zero, unlocking economic opportunity, empowering business growth, and creating new and better paid jobs.

When will the new mayor take office?

Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

Where will the new mayor’s office be located?

Staff working for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority are based in offices in York at West Offices on Station Rise, and at County Hall in Northallerton. The mayor is set to work from both offices.

When will the mayoral election be held, and who are the candidates?

The election will take place on Thursday, May 2, 2024, and the count will take place the following day on Friday, May 3. The deadline for candidate nominations is April 5, 2024. The statement of persons nominated – the candidates - will be published no later than 4pm on Monday, April 8, 2024.

Who will be administrating the election?

The constituent councils are North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council, which will be administering the election.

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Where will the counts take place?

Counts will take place in Harrogate, Northallerton, Scarborough and York. The result declaration will take place at Harrogate. The count for the mayoral election will start on the morning of Friday, May 3. The combined authority returning officer (CARO) is Richard Flinton, the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council.

Who will be eligible to vote?

Any local government elector within York and North Yorkshire.