Telford and Wrekin Councillors’ allowances and expenses revealed

The Council has today published how much each of its elected members received in the financial year up to 2013 in the spirit of openness and transparency.

The payments are published online hold a range of information including how much the Council’s most senior managers are paid and everything the Council buys costing more than £100.

The figures show that last year councillors and co-optees, lay members of the public appointed to help the council, received £615,199.99 in allowances – flat rate payments made to councillors for the roles they perform. A drop of more than £5,000 from last year’s figure.

All councillors receive a basic allowance and some councillors receive further allowance payments for special responsibilities such as performing a cabinet or scrutiny role or holding a post such as Mayor.

The figures also show that in the year 2012/13 councillors and co-optees claimed a total of £4,351.75 in expenses, bringing the overall figure for allowances and expenses paid to £619,551.74. The previous year’s figure was £624,736.31.

Council leader Kuldip Sahota said:

“One of the cornerstones of a co-operative council is being very open and honest with our residents about where public money is spent and publishing the payments made to councillors is a very important part of that process.

“In these hard economic times, every effort is made to reduce those payments and I am pleased that the overall figure for allowances and expenses has fallen again, while members of the cabinet have chosen to reduce their special responsibilities allowance by ten per cent.”

You can view the full list of payments at www.telford.gov.uk open council pages