It’s all part of the great shake-up where the government is devolving (transferring) some of its powers and responsibilities to local authorities.
They tell us it’s to increase democracy and local involvement, improve efficiency, and lower costs.
Eventually ALL County Councils in England must become mayoralties (ie run by a mayor) with far greater powers.
ALL local & borough councils in County Councils and local authorities must be merged to form mega-councils of around 500,000 residents.
Surrey is one of the first places where these changes will take place.
Useful links to more information
Long read: Devolution White Paper Medium read: City based analysis