Councillors will be asked to reject plans for City of York Council to merge with Scarborough, Selby and Ryedale at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday).
Government devolution plans for North Yorkshire – which include extra cash for the region – are linked to local government restructure proposals.
The council needs to submit a response to plans for the merger to Government by November 9 – and is asking businesses and residents in the city to support the reply in further consultations.
Government will then launch another consultation about the options in the new year, with a decision due to be made by summer 2021.
A council spokesperson says that if the government decides City of York Council should stay as it is, it will progress to devolution and help to establish a mayoral combined authority – which means two or more independent councils teaming up to create a body – by April 2022.
But if Government decides York should merge, a shadow authority will be rolled out to work towards creating the new local authority.
The could take about two years – meaning it would be complete by April 2023, the council says.
It adds that scrapping a council and creating a new one is subject to legislation under a process mapped out by Parliament.
The meeting takes place from 6pm tomorrow. You can watch it live on the City of York Council YouTube page.