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Leeds region needs mayor says think tank
The Leeds city region should elect a mayor with the power to raise up to £26m in business taxes, according to an influential think-tank.
The cash would be ploughed into local services and economic development.
A report by the New Local Government Network (NLGN), which is run by former Shipley MP Chris Leslie, said city region mayors should be able to appoint a city or area police commissioner or be able to appoint themselves to the role.
In addition, they should be able to appoint the chief executive of their local primary care trusts, the local authority chief executives as well as being given beefed up powers to oversee the provision of local transport.
But most controversially, the think tank has called for mayors to be allowed to increase or decrease business rates by up to 4p.
A 4p supplementary business rate across the Leeds city region would raise 26m.
Tory leader David Cameron has previously announced plans for a referendum to be held in Leeds and Wakefield on whether each city should elect a powerful 'executive mayor', with far reaching powers over planning, housing and the hiring and firing of staff.
However, he faces stiff opposition from Coun Andrew Carter, the joint Tory leader of Leeds council, who prefers the existing model of councils run by an executive cabinet of senior councillors.
The NLGN says that if the Conservatives win power they should set up a two-tier system of mayors with a "platinum level" for those in charge of city regions – covering several local authorities - and a "gold level" for the rest.
The think tank calls for US-style primaries to be used to choose each party's mayoral candidates.
Elected city region mayors would automatically be given a seat in the reformed House of Lords, as part of a bid to Parliament's upper chamber a stronger regional voice, under the NLGN blueprint.
Report authors Nirmalee Wanduragala and Nick Hope said: "Mayors, with their local mandate, are well placed to be granted wide-ranging delegated powers to help transform the way communities and citizens are served.
"They provide clear lines of accountability, demarcated responsibility, and effective leadership so that it is clear to everyone "where the buck stops".
The Leeds City Region brings together 11 local authorities across West and North Yorkshire and is currently overseen by a board of council leaders.
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Weather for Leeds
Tuesday 22 May 2012
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