Argyll and Bute councillors' 2019-20 expenses: how much did YOUR councillors claim?

A table published on the authority’s website shows that a total of £104,925 in expenses was paid to the area’s 36 councillors in the 2019/20 financial year.

This does not include £8,178 in telephone and ICT expenses accrued by the councillors, which are met directly by the authority.

The figure compares to £116,892 in 2018/19, which itself was a decrease of £129,772 the previous financial year.

On average, councillors were paid £2,914 each in expenses in 2019/20, compared to the 2018/19 average of just under £3,250.

READ MORE: Argyll and Bute councillors' expenses claims for 2018-19 revealed

When added to salaries, councillors received £821,833 in the last financial year – an increase of more than £4,000 on 2018/19.

In a statement accompanying the figures on the council website, executive director Douglas Hendry said: “The tables attached set out the payments made for the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.

“The amounts shown are not the amounts actually received by councillors. Firstly, the remuneration payments shown are gross figures, which are then subject to tax and national insurance deductions.

“Secondly, other expense payments relate solely to the reimbursement of actual expenditure incurred by the councillor and are all backed up with receipts.

“Thirdly, the council decided that it would be more effective to provide a broadband connection for each councillor for council business related communication and telephone calls.

READ MORE: Opinion: Information on councillors' expenses is misleading

“No reimbursement has been made to councillors in respect of such costs – these are all paid for directly by the council on behalf of councillors.

“These are included in the table this year reflecting revised guidance issued on such costs.”

As in previous years, Councillor Robin Currie claimed the most of any councillor. After deduction of telephone and ICT expenses, his total was £18,208.

More than half of that was for accommodation, with mileage, travelling expenses and meals accounting for the rest.

Councillor Currie, a resident of Islay, is required to stay overnight for many of the meetings he attends, including several council committees.

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He is a member of the planning, protective services and licensing committee, which meets monthly and holds hearings all over Argyll and Bute. His ward also includes eight community councils.

Another Islay resident, Councillor Alastair Redman, claimed the second most with £9,151. He, too, is on the planning committee.

Councillor Mary Jean Devon, also an island resident on Mull, and another planning committee member, claimed £7,547.

Oban North and Lorn Councillor Kieron Green claimed a total of £7,185, the vast majority of which was for mileage.

Council leader Aileen Morton claimed £5,288, while a total of £2,440 in expenses was paid to Provost Len Scoullar.

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Two councillors, Alan Reid and Andrew Vennard, claimed no expenses at all. Besides their salaries, their only expense shown by the council spreadsheet is for telephone and ICT expenses.

The 10 councillors for the Helensburgh and Lomond area claimed a total of £22,355.13 in expenses – an average of £2,235.51, again not including phone and IT costs.

The totals claimed by each of the area's councillors, after deduction of phone and ICT expenses, was as follows.

Jim Anderson (Independent, Dunoon) - £1,153.65

John Armour (SNP, South Kintyre) - £1,663.65

Gordon Blair (SNP, Cowal) - £2,172.48

Rory Colville (Liberal Democrat, South Kintyre) - £1,845.90

Robin Currie (Liberal Democrat, Kintyre and the Islands) - £18,207.89

Mary-Jean Devon (Independent, Oban South and the Isles) - £7,547.11

Lorna Douglas (SNP, Helensburgh Central) - £1,855.45

Jim Findlay (SNP, Isle of Bute) - £2,199.00

Audrey Forrest (SNP, Dunoon) - £2,668.51

George Freeman (Independent, Lomond North) - £1,947.65

Bobby Good (Conservative, Dunoon) - £747.30

Kieron Green (Independent, Oban North and Lorn) - £7,185.55

Graham Hardie (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh Central) - £1,848.57

Anne Horn (SNP, Kintyre and the Islands) - £3,399.37

Donald Kelly (Conservative, South Kintyre) - £621

David Kinniburgh (Conservative, Helensburgh and Lomond South) - £2,813.01

Jim Lynch (SNP, Oban South and the Isles) - £248.55

Donnie MacMillan (Independent, Mid Argyll) - £1,248.86

Roddy McCuish (Independent, Oban South and the Isles) - £2,477.69

Jamie McGrigor (Conservative, Oban North and Lorn) - £1,902.70

Julie McKenzie (SNP, Oban North and Lorn) - £1,060.80

Yvonne McNeilly (Conservative, Cowal) - £4,907.38

Jean Moffat (Independent, Isle of Bute) - £4,365.81

Barbara Morgan (Conservative, Lomond North) - £991.10

Aileen Morton (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh Central) - £5,287.98

Ellen Morton (Liberal Democrat, Helensburgh and Lomond South) - £2,611.87

Gary Mulvaney (Conservative, Helensburgh Central) - £2,050.40

Iain Shonny Paterson (SNP, Lomond North) - £850.74

Douglas Philand (Independent, Mid Argyll) - £714.45

Alastair Redman (Conservative, Kintyre and the Islands) - £9,150.52

Alan Reid (Liberal Democrat, Cowal) - zero

Elaine Robertson (Independent, Oban North and Lorn) - £3,057.26

Len Scoullar (Independent, Isle of Bute) - £2,440.50

Sandy Taylor (SNP, Mid Argyll) - £1,557.34

Richard Trail (SNP, Helensburgh and Lomond South) - £2,098.36

Andrew Vennard (Conservative, Oban North and Lorn) - zero

Total - £104,925.30

Average claimed - £2,914.59

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