Your Mayor, Your Vote
Residents in Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, Derby and Derbyshire, will vote for the first ever Mayor for the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) on Thursday 2nd May. (See separate article on how to register to vote.)
The EMCCA has been made possible because of a devolution deal between the Government and the four upper tier councils of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham. The deal includes functions and funding worth £1.14 billion, and it means decisions about investment in our areas which are currently taken by central government will be made locally.
As part of the devolution deal, the new Combined County Authority must have a directly elected mayor. The Government believes a Mayor means clearer accountability over local powers, functions and funding.
A key part of the role is to act as an advocate and global ambassador for the area and the 2.2 million residents who live here.
The Mayor will lead the EMCCA and will work with local councils, business representatives and stakeholders to maximise its potential as a place to live, visit, work and do business – focusing on areas like transport, housing, regeneration, employment and skills, economic investment, and the net-zero ambition.
He or she will have the powers and responsibilities to make decisions across the whole EMCCA area. However, local authorities will still exist as individual councils providing local services.
The Mayor’s term of office will run for four years. Find out more at www.eastmidlandsdevolution.co.uk.