Highland Councillors' expenses revealed
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CASH-strapped Highland Council used taxpayers’ money to subsidise more than £180,000 of councillors’ expenses last year.
The figures for 2019-20 show an increase in the total amount paid out in salaries plus expenses compared to the year before.
It came despite six councillors not making any expense claims for the past 12 months.
A total of £1,591,343 was paid in salaries plus expenses last year – up from £1,578,885 in 2018-19.
There were 24 councillors who collected a smaller total in 2019-20 than the year before, including Sutherland representatives Kirsteen Currie, Jim McGillivray, Deirdre Mackay and Hugh Morrison.
Sutherland councillors returns were: Kirsteen Currie – Salary £17,469; phone £104; total £17,573, down £549 on last year.
Richard Gale – Salary £18,580; mileage £2566; phone £228; total £21375, up £378.
Jim McGillivray – Salary £17,469; mileage £1173; phone £319; total 18,963, down £79.
Deirdre Mackay – Salary 17,469; mileage £1138; accommodation £862; meals £228; phone £366; total £20,072, down £331.
Hugh Morrison – Salary £20,202; mileage £6598; phone £228; total £27,029, down £1113.
Linda Munro – Salary £22,953; mileage £4100; direct travel £172; accommodation £1400; meals £44; phone £228; total £28,900, up £972.
(Figures rounded up/down. Salaries increased if chairman or vice-chairman of committee etc).
Kirsteen Currie did not claim for any expenses apart from her phone.
Throughout the Highland Council area, claims totalling £182,784 of expenses were paid out last year – down from £206,903 in 2018-19.
The highest amount came from Councillor John Finlayson (Eilean a’ Cheò, Independent) who topped up his £26,292 salary with £10,980.97 of expenses – a larger total than he claimed last year when his salary was lower. He claimed the most of any councillors for mileage (£8334.45).
Councillor Biz Campbell (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Independent) made the highest claim for meals, collecting £784.31 – up by more than 50 per cent from £506.55 for the year before.
Her total claims of £8816.46 last year made her the second-highest overall expenses claimant and more than £1600 higher than in 2018-19.
Council leader Margaret Davidson (Aird and Loch Ness, Independent) is the highest-paid councillor, collecting £40,764.96 and claiming £5285.43 of expenses.
Budget leader Alister Mackinnon (Dingwall and Seaforth, Independent) had £434.09 reimbursed for “other travel” and topped that category of expenses.
A bill of £1324.71 was the highest for “direct travel” and was submitted by Councillor Jimmy Gray (Inverness Millburn, Labour).
Councillor Andrew Sinclair (Wick and East Caithness, Tory) made the top claim for accommodation with £3553.16.
Receipts of £712.27 from Councillor Ian Cockburn (Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, SNP) were the highest in the telephone and mobile section.
Councillor Emma Knox (Aird and Loch Ness, SNP) put in the highest claim for surgery costs at £40. Councillor Maxine Smith (Cromarty Firth, SNP) submitted the top claim of £145.58 for “all other expenses”.
Council convener Bill Lobban (Badenoch and Strathspey, Independent) was seventh overall highest claimant at £7015.26.
