Salaries for the top roles on the new combined authority for York and North Yorkshire have been revealed.

The combined authority, which will be led by an elected mayor, will work in partnership with City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council to deliver devolved investment on a wider scale across the areas of both authorities.

Funding for the devolution deal was first secured in March 2023. The elected mayor will be chosen in a vote on May 2.

Explaining the purpose of the combined authority, a spokesperson said: "Our role is to use some of the money and powers, that up to now have been held by central government, and work with local leaders and communities to invest in ways that will help to make York and North Yorkshire a better place for you to live, work and do business."

How much do the leaders get paid?

North Yorkshire Council's chief executive will remain the highest paid - with a salary of £205,897 for the current financial year.

The chief operating officer at City of York Council will remain the second highest paid position for the current year, with a salary ranging from £145,816 to £154,117.

Meanwhile, the chief executive post at the combined authority is being advertised at a salary of £124,656.

The salaries of the democratically elected leader at both York and North Yorkshire councils are made up of a combination of both a basic allowance, and a special responsibility allowance.

For City of York Council's leader, Cllr Claire Douglas, these two allowances add up to £45,124.04 a year. Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Council Leader, Carl Les, is paid £57,447 a year.

The soon-to-be elected mayor of the combined authority will be paid an annual allowance of £81,300 - which is £5,284 less than the current salary for a Member of Parliament.

All costs

During the current financial year, the combined authority will spend £4,531,848 on gross salaries, national insurance, and pension contributions for all its staff - which makes up 14.2 per cent of the authority's forecasted expenditure.

The remaining expenditure includes operation costs such as set-up and implementation, paying sub-contractors, and funding services.

Of the £18 million annual budget of the Mayoral Investment Fund, £6 million has already been committed to cover previously agreed upon expenditure. This includes £2.2 million for the cost of the mayoral election.