The public vote for a new mayor-style leader for Norfolk County Council could be delayed for a year, to coincide with County Hall elections.
Norfolk County Council must make a decision next month over a devolution deal which would hand millions of pounds and new powers to the authority.
The idea of a 'county deal' - which would see a transfer of power from Whitehall to Norfolk County Council - was agreed in principle almost a year ago.
The level three county deal includes an investment fund of £20m a year for 30 years, control of the £12m budget for adult education, and £7m for brownfield development.
But one of the requirements is that Norfolk County Council has a directly-elected leader, picked by the people of Norfolk, with the public due to go to the polls in May 2024.
That would require a governance change at the council, which all councillors would have to vote on.
READ MORE: Norfolk County Council devolution deal talks held with Gove
At a meeting next Monday (December 4), the Conservative-controlled cabinet will decide what to recommend to full council.
One of the options is to put the election of that new leader on hold for a further year, to hold the vote in May 2025, to coincide with the county council elections.
The cabinet's other options are to proceed with the current deal with the vote next May, to not proceed, or to go back to the government and negotiate a level two deal, giving the council control over the adult education budget, but not the investment fund.
Council leader Kay Mason Billig, said: “There are four clear choices. Cabinet will consider the potential benefits of each approach and then make a recommendation to full council."
But Labour group leader Steve Morphew said: "The new option of delaying the already unwanted election kicks it down the road past a general election and is only being considered as the Tories think they'll lose."
Green group leader Ben Price said: "Devolution done well could massively benefit Norfolk, but the deal offered by the Conservative government will funnel too much power into the hands of a single individual and lacks the funding levels to truly provide an improvement to the lives of residents."
Brian Watkins, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "The top priority of the Liberal Democrat group is to ensure that any devolution deal agreed by the council benefits all residents across the county and creates much-needed growth and prosperity."
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