Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) is planning to set aside half a million pounds two years ahead of the next mayoral election. The plan is to place £500K in an earmarked reserve each year for the next three financial years, meaning £1.5m will be available to fund the costs of the next mayoral election in May 2028.
The Tees Valley mayoral election now operates in a four year cycle, much like most local councils in the region. The most recent Tees Valley mayoral election took place in 2024, with the next one scheduled to take place in 2028. Current Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen was elected in 2017, then again in 2021 (delayed from 2020 as a result of the pandemic), then re-elected once more in 2024.
The money being put aside is to facilitate the practical elements of an election (for example, operating polling stations). Draft budget documents, which are currently open to consultation, state that it would be “prudent” to create a reserve, setting aside money each year to fund the “quadrennial costs”. TVCA’s budget for 2026/27 is likely to be approved at the upcoming TVCA Cabinet meeting, scheduled for Friday, March 20.
While the approach for conducting the 2028 mayoral election is “under review”, adjusting the 2024 cost of running the election for inflation, indicates that a “prudent provision” would be approximately £1.5m. Putting aside an annual contribution of £500K from 2026/27 would see a £1.5m total available for use in 2028/29, the financial year in which the next mayoral election is set to be held. Money will be held in a specific earmarked reserve.
The budget documents add: “These elections are predominantly held alongside the area’s local council elections, and TVCA contributes to the overall cost of delivering them.” Other than a third of Hartlepool councillors, no other local council elections in the area coincide with the TVCA mayoral race. Middlesbrough Council has confirmed that no TVCA funding goes towards paying for local council elections. A TVCA spokesperson said that the mayoral elections have previously lined up with Police and Crime Commissioner elections, which is where cost efficiencies were made.
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