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08
Mar 2023
Zoë Metcalfe confirms bid to become North Yorkshire's first mayor
Zoë Metcalfe has confirmed she wants to stand as the Conservative candidate in next year's York and North Yorkshire mayoral election.
Ms Metcalfe, who lives near Boroughbridge, is the current North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
The Stray Ferret reported on Saturday that she was believed to be planning a bid for election.
Ms Metcalfe is the first person to formally declare an intention to stand for the role of mayor, which is being created as part of the North Yorkshire devolution process. The election will be held in 14 months' time.
The mayor will oversee a significant budget for York and North Yorkshire covering areas such as transport, education and housing.
He or she will also swallow up the commissioner’s role currently occupied by Ms Metcalfe, who was born in Ripon, educated in Harrogate and lives in Aldborough.
Speaking to the media
In a statement issued last night, she said she was "uniquely qualified" for the role and had the "necessary business experience and close links to Westminster to promote economic growth",
Ms Metcalfe is a former Harrogate borough councillor who was elected to the commissioner’s role in 2021 following the resignation of fellow Conservative Philip Allott.
Since taking up the role on a salary of £74,000, she has overseen the introduction of a Risk and Resource Model for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which sets out how resources will be deployed from 2022 to 2025.
The changes included reducing Harrogate Fire Station’s nighttime cover from two fire engines to one.
'Close links to Westminster'
Ms Metcalfe's statement in full said:
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