The Thurrock Council's General Services Committee convened on 3 September 2025, addressing essential preparations for the upcoming Combined County Authority (CCA) Mayoral Elections in May 2026. The committee approved the appointment of Colin Ansell, Chief Executive of Southend-on-Sea City Council, as the Combined County Authority Returning Officer (CCARO). Additionally, Dr Dave Smith was appointed as the Returning Officer for Thurrock Council for the mayoral election.

Combined County Authority Mayoral Elections May 2026

The main item on the agenda was the appointment of officers to oversee the mayoral elections for the Greater Essex Combined County Authority (GECCA) in May 2026. The Public Reports Pack stated that the government intends to introduce regulations to parliament imminently to formally establish the GECCA.

To ensure the smooth running of the election, the committee was asked to approve two key appointments:

• Combined County Authority Returning Officer (CCARO): The CCARO is responsible for the overall conduct of the mayoral election across the entire combined authority area. The report stated that this role includes:

  giving notice of the election; the nominations procedure; producing and distributing the election booklet; and the collation of local totals and calculation of the result.

  The committee voted to approve the appointment of Colin Ansell, Chief Executive of Southend-on-Sea City Council, as the CCARO.

• Local Returning Officer: Each constituent authority within the combined authority is required to appoint a local returning officer, who is responsible for conducting the election within their specific area and reporting the results to the CCARO. The committee voted to appoint Dr Dave Smith as the Returning Officer for Thurrock Council.

During the discussion, Councillor Neil Speight raised questions about the decision not to utilise an officer from Colchester City Council, who had experience in wider elections. Officers clarified that the Returning Officer should come from one of the three upper tier authorities (Thurrock, Southend, and Essex County Council), but that the officer from Colchester City Council was likely to be a deputy returning officer to support Colin Ansell.

Councillor Speight also raised concerns about the fees for the two posts. Officers responded that the fees were determined as part of the statutory arrangements for the election and would be published once known.

The committee resolved to approve both appointments, with Councillor Speight voting against the recommendations.