There'll be no referendum on elected Mayor proposals in Hull and the East Riding
However there will be a consultation on the issue
A referendum on whether Hull and the East Riding should get a directly elected Mayor has been ruled out.
However local people WILL get a say on proposals.
It's expected the Chancellor's autumn statement will officially confirm a devolution deal has been put forward for approval which would see greater powers and more funding brought to Hull and the East Riding.
That's likely to include an elected Mayor.
A deal could be abandoned if there's a lack of public support
Yesterday East Riding councillors heard a referendum on having a Mayor has been ruled out because of possible "misinformation."
The cost of such a vote is said to be another key reason.
Instead there'll be a public consultation, but a deal could be abandoned if there was a lack of public support.
It is then set to go to a council committee and Cabinet before a special all-member meeting on Thursday, December 21, with the consultation beginning in the new year.
It marks the latest step in years of wrangling to try and get a devolution deal for East Yorkshire over the line.
Devolved powers include transport, economic development and skills training
Proposals for a combined authority with an elected metro mayor are the third version of a draft deal for East Yorkshire put forward since 2020.
If people in Hull and the East Riding and councillors back the latest version, it would be sent to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for sign off in June.
Powers over areas such as transport, economic development, skills training and others would then be devolved to the new authority between January and April 2025.
An election for an East Yorkshire mayor would take place the following May, according to a provisional timetable published in a Hull City Council report in September.
A Mayoral referendum could cost £500,000 in the East Riding alone
Councillors heard a six-week consultation would likely take place from January and it would be handled by an external company.
They also heard the exact details of the deal would remain confidential until its official unveiling.
We spoke to East Riding Councillor Leo Hammond about the issue.
He told us: "Just in the East Riding alone - let alone Hull - a Mayoral referendum would cost the taxpayers 5 hundred thousand pounds to administer a referendum which we don't think is a good use of taxpayer's money"
We can't let East Yorkshire be left behind
"Secondly if there is just a one yes/no answer there may just be one element of the deal which is why people say no."
"Therefore we could lose out on the rest of it."
"Our future is dependent on this - we look at other areas around the country and you see all the money goes to the areas with elected Mayors."
"If we want to excel as an area economically, socially we need to ensure we get that money too."
"The rest of Yorkshire has Mayoral devolution deals we can't let East Yorkshire be left behind."