£2.2m price tag for York and North Yorkshire's first mayoral election

Elections will take place in May 2024 to select a mayor for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

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

Voters go to the polls on 2 May to choose the mayor who will lead a new combined authority for the region.

The mayor will also assume the powers of the current Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

The new authority will oversee major projects including transport, education and housing schemes.

A report which details the new mayor's budget confirms North Yorkshire Council will receive £18m from the government's mayoral investment fund in their first year.

This is the sum the mayor is set to receive each year to invest in local priorities.

The new North Yorkshire Council came into force in April 2023 and covers a population of more than 600,000 people

Figures included in the report also include £2.2m allocated for the mayoral election, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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.

Councillors who sit on a committee which is overseeing the creation of the combined authority are expected to approve its budget at a meeting on Monday.

Mayoral candidates announced so far

• Green Party - Kevin Foster, a former soldier

• Conservative Party - Keane Duncan, a Malton councillor

• Labour - David Skaith, chair of the York High Street Forum

• Liberal Democrats - unknown at present

• Independent candidate - Keith Tordoff, former police officer