The first and only mayor was Mike Starkie, elected as an independent candidate in 2015 and 2019 but later joining the Conservative Party.
The post was scrapped in the reorganisation of local government in Cumbria in April 2023.
A petition to change the status of the borough from one with a leader and cabinet to one with an executive mayor was submitted in February 2014.
On 22 May 2014, a referendum was held (concurrent with elections to the European Parliament), at which voters opted to change to a mayoral system.
[2] The election was initially planned for October 2014, but this was later delayed to May 2015 to save money.