Expenses price proves expensive (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Expenses price proves expensive

11:44am Friday 27th January 2012 in Letters

Sir.-You recently reported on how Tory and Lib-Dem councillors had voted through a change to their own councillor allowances.

In the last three years, the cost to the local taxpayer for councillor allowances has increased by £17,000.

In a survey of Hampshire’s district councils, Basingstoke and Deane pay the highest basic allowance and extra allowances to the council leader, deputy leader and Cabinet members.

The most significant change to allowances pushed through by Tory and Lib-Dem councillors was to allow borough councillors to claim mileage payments to attend parish council meetings.

With more than 50 parish councils and 1,000 meetings per year, there is only one way that the allowance bill is going.

The Labour group proposed a three-year freeze to councillor allowances. Unfortunately, neither the Tory nor Lib-Dem councillors could support us.

–Cllr Laura James, Leader of the Labour Group, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.