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SPECIAL REPORT: Your councillors defend their expenses
WEST Lindsey councillors were asked this week to reveal exactly what they spend your money on - by you.
In the wake of the national MPs' expenses scandal, we received a number of letters from readers asking the Standard to shed some light on the expenses system at a local level.
We sent West Lindsey councillors an email asking them to FULLY disclose their expenses - including receipts for food and travel.
It is an opportunity for the people who answer to you to show their human side, and give you an insight into how they are spending your Council Tax.
Below is a selection of their responses:
Kristian Smith, Gainsborough East
My expenses are as follows:
Travel: 119.20 – this is a mileage rate of 40p a mile for attending meetings on behalf of the council. I have not claimed for any food or drink from the council.
Mel Starkey, Gainsborough East
I only get basic pay and would waste taxpayers' money if I claimed extra. I'm not like an MP, claiming all sorts of things. I do all my own stuff. Even when out visiting people with problems. I signed on to do the job so I pick up the tab wherever the customer has a problem.
Mick Tinker, Gainsborough East
I would be interested to see documented evidence of requests and comments from your readers. Recently I was relected to the county council l and part of that process was to canvass the electorate to win their confidence and secure their vote, during these days I personally received all the anger from people who believed politicians are all the same at all levels. These were the saddest days of my political life spanning over 40 years, hearing from people who know me and were telling me they not going to vote for me or anyone els. They no longer had faith or trust in British democracy by their elected MPs. You can only be sorry for the electorate. failed by a group of lying cheating MPs only there for what they can get from the gravy train. Unfortunately as I have seen we are all tarnished.
Gillian Bardsley, Gainsborough North
I am quite happy for you to publish details of expenses I have claimed from WLDC as a serving councillor for the last twelve months. I hope that help in restoring faith in our system of democracy at this time.
Tom Brown, Gainsborough North
I just get the normal district allowance but don't claim any other expenses.
Pat O'Connor, Gainsborough North
I have not made any claims for West Lindsey Council this year. I have claimed 216 mileage and 24.90 subsistence for county council for the whole year. I have to contrast this with just one allowance that MPs get. An annual allowance of 10,000 to advertise themselves to the electorate and any leaflets I produce I have to pay for. All I have ever asked for is a level playing field as a prospective parliamentary candidate. This is the one allowance that should be scrapped.
Judy Rainsforth, Gainsborough South West
My expenses for last year 154. We work for the public so we are accountable to them and I think all councillors' expenses should be open to the public. Mine are small compared to other people out of town.
Trevor Young, Gainsborough South West
You will see that on my expense claims they are for low use car useage. I also claim 15.00 per month for broadband - this is essential for all members and actually saves expenditure for the authority on postage and time. Over the past year, I have not claimed any expenditure for meals, drinks or trains. Because of the current financial climate, I have also not attended any civic functions which you would find most offer free food and drinks to members and their families. Personally I am totally against the huge amount spent by the authority annually on civic function - which is currently 75,000 per year. I think such expenditure should be suspended and the chairman should hold civic function without any cost to the council tax payer. This could qiute easily be acheieved and it would be welcomed by most people.
Scott Pritchard, Hemswell
I hope you'll praise the councillors who don't claim for anything (which i think there are quite a few) My only claim i can remember was a course about 3 years ago and an internet allowance, it was such a long time ago i can't quite remember.
Jessie Milne, Lea
I do not claim any mileage for travelling to and around my ward or to West Lindsey Council offices, which is a two-mile trip and one which I make on a regular basis. My nearest village is Lea and is three miles from my home. So as you can see I do not take all the allowances I am entitled to.
William Parry, Scotter
Here is my summary of claims at 40p per mile
April 08. Scotter P.C. and Scotton P.C.- 34 miles. 13.60
June 08 Laughton P.C.,Scotter P.C., Lincolnshire Show(WLDC duty)
63 miles.25.20
July 08 Hemswell Court(LSP Seminar) 18 miles 7.20
August 08 Scotter P.C. and Scotton P.C. 20 miles 8.00
Sept 08 Laughton P.C.,Scotton P.C., Gainsborough Int.Drainage Bd., and
Lincolnshire Tourism Mtg.,Lincoln 82 miles 32.80
Oct 08 East Stockwith P,C. (Not paid/Late claim)
Nov 08 Scotter P.C. 18 miles.7.20
Jan. 09 Laughton P.C.,Scotter P.C.,Gainsborough Int.Drainage Bd.
44 miles 17.60
Feb.09 Scotter P.C. 18 miles 7.20
March 09 Scotton P.C., Housing Strategy Mtg, Lincoln 55 miles 22.00
The above are the total claims for year 2008/9. April and May 09 figures are available if needed.
Chris Underwood-Frost, Scotter
Coun Underwood-Frost did not comment on any expenses he claims for West Lindsey Council, but has this to say for his post at Lincolnshire County Council:
At all times and times like this I am more than happy to be open and transparent regarding the county council expenses I have claimed. I am always happy that Lincolnshire County Council publish members expenses annually and have done for some time. If this had happened in London maybe the people across the country would see what was going on. I also hope you are going to publish the expenses that I am entitled to claim, yet I do not. I am entitled to claim Child care allowance as a single parent when I attend meetings during school drop off and pick up time and evenings, but I do not. I am also entitled to claim tax relief on part of my home, as I use one area as a study for council work. But I do not claim tax relief on my home. I have a mobile phone for my work as a councillor yet I pay for that myself. I am also happy that the Conservative members of the LCC froze members expenses in March of this year, indefinitely. This was well before this national issue hit the press and was to recognise the world economic down turn. On 19th June this year Lincolnshire County Council handed over to the Samaritans a cheque for the 21,000 that would have been the equivalent of the independent remuneration panel suggested expenses increase for members through this year. The members of the LCC felt that the Samaritans would benefit with a cash injection at this time to help then engage with people in hard times. I have been the chairman of the capital PDG at the county council over seeing over 580 million of capital funding plus the duties of being a member of an authority that has a budget of 1.1 billion of yearly expenditure. My P60 last year shows about 12,547.67 net with 2,509.40 tax deductions, which is nearly 8,000 as a member of LCC and approx 4,500 as the chairman of the capital PDG.
Reg Shore, Stow
I would say that councillors are in a totally different league to MPs. There are two camps and some do squeeze every ha'penny out of the system, but most don't even claim what they're entitled to. We can claim 40p a mile, but with the current petrol situation as it is, we're actually out of pocket and that amount doesn't pay for the wear and tear on the car.
Stuart Kinch, Torksey
I think it's shameful what MPs have done and I think the expenses system should be transparent at council level too. When I was canvassing to be a county councillor this year the public kept telling me I had my head in the same trough as MPs. But you can't compare what they claim to the basic allowance a councillor gets. I am certainly not doing this for the money - it's about serving the people in an area which I'm interested in and where I've lived all my life.
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