Drop as Telford & Wrekin councillors paid £616,000 in allowances
Councillors in Telford were paid more than £600,000 in allowances in the last financial year, new figures have revealed.
The total paid out from April 2015 to March this year was £616,303 – just under £2,000 less than the year before it and more than eight per cent less than the £675,782 claimed in 2009/10.
Councillors all receive a basic allowance of £7,870 a year for their work. Further special responsibility allowances are paid to councillors who perform additional duties such as a cabinet or scrutiny role.
Council bosses say a decision by councillors on the ruling cabinet to take a voluntary ten per cent reduction in their special responsibilities allowance meant the final total for 2015/16 was £14,121 less than it should have been.
Councillors and co-optees can also claim reimbursements for expenses incurred in their council work.
In 2015/16 this was £847.55 – 93 per cent less than the 2009/10 figure of £12,008.
Council leader Councillor Shaun Davies said: "When our services are under extreme financial pressures, it's only fair that every member of the cabinet has helped by choosing to reduce their special responsibility allowance.
"Today the total paid to councillors is nearly £58,000 less than it was in 2009/10, while the level of reimbursements is at one of its lowest ever levels.
"Over the last five years the cabinet not claiming their full allowances has saved more than £105,000 alone.
"As we face more and more cuts as our Government grant is reduced further, I and my cabinet colleagues remain committed to continue to forego our full allowance.
"As an open council it's very important our residents have access to this information and know what their representatives receive for their work as Telford & Wrekin councillors."
Telford & Wrekin has 54 councillors, however the number of councillors receiving allowances in 2015/16 was higher because elections during the year saw a number of new councillors elected who received a pro-rata allowance, as did those who ceased being councillors at the election in May 2015.
* For more details visit telford.gov.uk/opencouncil
