The Mayor is elected to represent 1.4 million residents in the region. The Mayor acts to promote South Yorkshire as a place to live, work, visit and invest.
The MCA has powers and funding which are used to help create jobs, grow the economy, up-skill the workforce, support the public transport network and develop new infrastructure and homes in South Yorkshire. Many decisions are made by the MCA and Mayor together, but the Mayor can make some decisions independently.
Following the Mayoral election in May 2024, the Mayor took on the functions of the Police and Crime Commissioner. These functions include listening to the needs of communities, securing victim support services, setting the objectives for the police force, and holding the Chief Constable to account.
The Mayor also has the ability to bring together partners across the region to maximise the collective impact of those partners.
The South Yorkshire Devolution Deal, signed in 2020, gives South Yorkshire £30m a year for 30 years (called Gainshare) to fund economic growth. The Mayor also oversees the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement - £570m spread over 5 years for investment in local transport networks. There are additional funding allocations for areas including skills, infrastructure, active travel and more.
As of 2024, The Mayoral Combined Authority is now under a level four Devolution Deal. This further devolution provides access to some single funding pots to enable the Mayor and the MCA to streamline how important schemes and projects across South Yorkshire are funded.
On the advice of an Independent Remuneration Panel, the Combined Authority has agreed to pay an allowance of 79,000 to the Mayor of South Yorkshire (payable from the 28th July 2020).
An independent remuneration panel will recommend a revised salary to the MCA in summer 2024 which will take into consideration the additional police and crime functions now included in the Mayor’s role.
