Councillors agree to 'transparency' over expenses

0 - 0 • Published 22 May 2009 15:06 0 Comments

CALLS were made this week to publish a full list of councillors" expenses.

A summarised version of who is paid what at Newtown St Boswells is already released every year.

And at Thursday"s council meeting following a proposal by Depute Leader, Neil Calvert, councillors agreed to have all council claims forms, backdated to May 2007, posted online also.

This was then followed by a further recommendation from councillor David Paterson to publish all other expenses and allowances received from outside bodies.

Scottish Borders Council will now set about the task implementing these proposals in an attempt to make councillors expenses more open and transparent to the public.

More than £750,000 was paid to the 34 elected members for the 2008-09 financial year.

Education portfolio holder, Catriona Bhatia, who was paid a total of £28,199 in salary and expenses, told the Peeblesshire News: 'We want the public to know that we are not acting irresponsibly, unlike elected members elsewhere.

'There needs to be transparency although as far as I know no councillors are having their moats cleaned out.'

Travel, subsistence and other expenses for the members of Scottish Borders Council climbed from £76,338 in 2007-08 to £87,668 for the past year.

And overall payment, which combines salary and expenses, took a 7.8 per cent hike from £698,538 to £752,997.

Council Leader David Parker topped the wage list with a £31,645 salary and £1321 expenses.

Depute Leader Neil Calvert who attends Newtown St Boswells each day from his West Linton home claimed more than £8,000 in expenses as well as his £23,734 salary.

Cllr Calvert said: 'Expenses and allowances are an emotive issue right now that is why we need to make our openness on the matter clear to the public.'

Sandy Aitchison £15,821 salary & £2,417 expenses.

Willie Archibald £15,821 & £4,577

Catriona Bhatia £23,550 & £4,649

Jim Brown £15,821 & £2,444

Neil Calvert £23,734 & £8,088

Michael Cook £23,550 & £6,692

Vicky Davidson £20,478 & £4,465

Zandra Elliot £15,821 & £2,392

Jim Fullarton £20,478 & & £7,391

Graham Garvie £20,478 & £4,862

Kenneth Gunn £15,821 & £1,896

Bill Herd £15,821 & £2,374

Jock Houston £17,663 & £1,668

Jim Hume £15,821 & £966

Alasdair Hutton £23,734 & £4,441

Trevor Jones £15,821 & £3,576

Fiona Lackenby £15,821 & £948

Gavin Logan £15,821 & £3,709

Stuart Marshall £15,821 & £1,760

John Mitchell £15,821 & £3,332

Donald Moffat £17,663 & £4,240

Alec Nicol £23,734 & £6,006

David Parker £31,645 & £1,321

David Paterson £15,821 & £3,407

John Paton-Day £15,821 & £3,535

David Raw £23,550 & £6,305

Francis Renton £15,821 & £4,511

Carolyn Riddell-Carre £20,478 & £3,157

Sandy Scott £15,821 & £3,180

Ron Smith £17,800 & £2,909

George Turnbull £15,821 & £2,726

Nicholas Watson £15,821 & £2,557

Tom Weatherston £15,821 & £2,490

Len Wyse £20,478 & £3,082

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 22 May 09

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