The Liverpool City Region Appointments and Disciplinary Committee met on Friday 28 August 2026 to approve the commencement of recruitment for a new Director of Legal and Governance, who will also serve as the statutory Monitoring Officer. The committee also confirmed the appointment of the Combined Authority's Chief Executive as the Combined Authority Returning Officer for all future Mayoral Elections.

Recruitment of Director - Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The committee approved the commencement of the recruitment process for the position of Director – Legal and Governance. This role is crucial as it will fulfil the statutory functions of the Combined Authority's Monitoring Officer, as required by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The postholder will also serve as Secretary to Merseytravel under the Transport Act 1968 and as Company Secretary for both the Combined Authority and Merseytravel Companies.

The report presented to the committee outlined that the current Monitoring Officer, Louise Outram, is due to retire at the end of the year, with a period of leave commencing in November. The expanded brief for the Director of Legal and Governance role includes strategic governance and assurance, aligned with the integrated settlement and devolved responsibilities emerging from the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. The role will also encompass responsibilities related to Mayoral elections, necessitating electoral experience and expertise.

The committee approved the draft role description and person specification for the position, which will be evaluated through the Hay Job Evaluation Scheme. To expedite the process, authority was delegated to the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive), Katherine Fairclough, to manage the preparation of the shortlist, conduct interviews, and make recommendations for appointment. The final decision on the appointment will rest with the Combined Authority. A specialist recruitment agency will be engaged to support the search and selection process. The report highlighted that the recruitment process will adhere to the Combined Authority's HR policies, including the application of the Rooney Rule¹ for senior appointments, ensuring at least one woman and one person from an underrepresented minority are considered in the shortlist.

Appointment of Combined Authority Returning Officer

The committee approved the appointment of Katherine Fairclough, the Combined Authority's Chief Executive, as the Combined Authority Returning Officer (CARO) for all future Combined Authority Mayoral Elections. This appointment is a statutory requirement under The Combined Authorities (Mayoral Elections) Order 2017, which mandates that each Combined Authority must appoint an officer to this role.

The CARO holds overall responsibility for the election of the Mayor and coordinates the regional result. Katherine Fairclough previously served successfully in this role for the 2024 Mayoral Election and will continue to do so for future elections, including the anticipated 2028 election. Her role description will be amended to incorporate these duties. The CARO will appoint a Deputy CARO and delegate responsibilities to constituent councils and their officers to ensure the operational delivery of the election, working closely with Local Returning Officers across the City Region.

The remuneration for the CARO role will be a single payment made after each election, determined by the Treasurer and Monitoring Officer based on factors such as electorate size and election complexity, and will not form part of the Chief Executive's core salary. The CARO will also determine the remuneration for other officers involved in election duties. The Combined Authority is required to budget for election costs, including the CARO's expenses.