COUNCILLORS' EXPENSES AND ALLOWANCES REVEALED
NEWTOWNABBEY councillors were this week urged to "tighten their belts" after they racked up a whopping £300,000 in allowances and expenses last year.
As the MPs' expenses scandal continues to rock Westminster, the Times today gives you, the ratepayer, the lowdown on who claimed what at Newtownabbey Council over the past 12 months.
Figures obtained by the Times show that 266,498 was forked out on councillors' allowances, while 34,331 was spent on expenses, which include mileage claims and conference costs.
The news comes fresh on the back of last month's Times' exclusive revealing how the council spent almost 42,000 on trips between April 2007 and March of this year.
Former Mayor, Nigel Hamilton, is the councillor with the biggest expenses tab for the 2008/09 period. The Glengormley representative claimed 3,253 in expenses from the council, while picking up 12,580 in allowances. The current Mayor, Victor Robinson, was given 15,122 in allowances, but claimed just 618 in expenses.
Councillors Jackie and Etta Mann, one of two DUP husband and wife teams on the council, were granted a combined 25,335 in allowances and expenses while Alderman Paul Girvan and his wife, councillor Mandy Girvan, collected a combined 23,991 in the same period.
Alderman Billy DeCourcy claimed 3,042, SDLP representative Noreen McClelland claimed 3,113, and veteran councillor Fraser Agnew's expenses amounted to 2,694.
In fact, according to the figures the council's biggest party, the DUP, claimed 17,815 in expenses alone. The second largest party, the Ulster Unionists, claimed a combined 8,330 in expenses.
Some representatives took home very little in expenses. Alliance councillor Tom Campbell claimed 64, while councillor Tommy Kirkham, an Independent, claimed just 35.
Councillors are paid an allowance of 9,500 per year and are given extra money for special responsibilities including committee chairman posts. These posts are currently up for grabs as the council's Annual General Meeting approaches in early June.
On council source claimed: "Some councillors are jockeying for position at the moment. The responsibility is not spread evenly over the council."
Newtownabbey's Deputy Mayor, John Scott, who claimed 1,506 in expenses, said: "34,000 on councillors' expenses sounds, to me, like a lot of money. We're in the middle of the credit crunch and people are tightening their belts, and all councillors at Mossley Mill should be doing the same."
Total allowances and expenses payments to councillors for 2008/09
Councillor Fraser Agnew (IND): 12, 459
Alderman Billy Ball (DUP): 11, 655
Councillor Pamela Barr (DUP): 12, 013
Councillor Jim Bingham (UUP): 12, 446
Councillor Paula Bradley(DUP): 13, 158
Councillor Tom Campbell (ALL): 11, 775
Councillor Janet Crilly (UUP): 10, 836
Alderman Billy DeCourcy (DUP): 14, 131
Councillor Lynn Frazer (ALL): 10, 536
Councillor Barbara Gilliland (UUP): 11, 007
Councillor Mandy Girvan (DUP): 11, 247
Alderman Paul Girvan (DUP): 12, 744
Alderman Nigel Hamilton (DUP): 15, 833
Councillor Robert Hill (DUP): 11, 261
Councillor Tommy Kirkham (IND): 9, 535
Councillor Etta Mann (DUP): 11,299
Councillor Jackie Mann (DUP): 14,036
Councillor Noreen McClelland (SDLP): 12,613
Councillor Vera McWilliam (UUP): 10,339
Councillor Briege Meehan (SF): 10,100
Councillor Ken Robinson (UUP): 10,831
Alderman Victor Robinson (DUP): 15,740
Councillor John Scott (UUP): 14,250
Councillor Dineeen Walker (DUP): 10,842
Councillor Billy Webb (ALL): 10,144
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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