Councillors claim £200,000 in expenses
HIGHLAND councillors claimed more than £200,000 in expenses last year, it has been revealed.
Statistics for members’ expenses for 2017/18 showed the total for salary and expenses combined was just over £180,000 less than in 2016/17.
Council leader Margaret Davidson (Aird and Loch Ness) took home the largest package of £44,131.83 – £38,700.86 of which was her salary. The total was more than £4000 down on the previous year. Her expenses of £5430.97 were not even in the top 10 of highest total claims.
Councillor Donald Mackay (Thurso and Northwest Caithness) was the highest claimant topping up his £17.773.26 salary by more than 50 per cent with a claim of £9702.14 of expenses, more than £6000 of which was for reimbursed mileage.
Councillor John Finlayson (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) was the highest mileage claimant (£7573.35).
Other categories of expenses included "other travel"; "direct travel"; accommodation; meals; telephone, broadband and mobile; surgery costs; and "all other expenses".
Councillor Mackay was the top accommodation claimant (£2882); Councillor Isabelle Campbell (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh) claimed the most for meals (£548.45); and Councillor James McGillivray (East Sutherland and Edderton) put in for the most for telephone, broadband and mobile (£627.38).
Alasdair Christie (Inverness Ness-side) and Derek Louden (Tain and Easter Ross) are the only current councillors who submitted no expenses claims during the period.
Councillors claimed a total of £208,699.91 in expenses in 2017/18. The overall expenses and salaries figure was £1,569,565.16.
