GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
GO AD-FREE. Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
Councillors on Kent County Council claimed nearly £2 million in expenses and allowances last year.
In total, the 81 elected members claimed £1,989,911 between in the 12 months to the end of March, £47,446 more than the previous financial year.
Although this is a small increase, around 2.4%, it represents a third year of growth in allowance and expenses claims made by Kent county councillors.
The annual Kent County Council report, which details the full list of expenses and allowance claims, was brought before the selection and members services committee at Maidstone's County Hall on Monday.
Eight of Kent's elected members were present in the meeting, including leader Cllr Paul Carter, whose total remuneration was £67,000 in the latest financial year.
The county councillors declined to comment on the report during the public meeting and merely "noted" it.
The claims increase comes after just two years after councillors controversially voted for a 15% increase in their allowances, ignoring a recommendation from an independent panel that they should only increase by 1.5%.
Since then the claims have continued to rise at a small rate.
Between April 2018 to March 2019, the elected members' expenses claims totalled at £111,735 while basic allowances amounted to £1,215,187.
On top of this, a total of 45 selected members received a special responsibility allowance of £662,989 between them.
One of the few areas where claims fell in 2018/19 was for booking county cars and taxis through Kent County Council.
A total of £10,836 was reclaimed over the 12 month period, more than halving the £26,980 expenditure in the previous financial year.
The annual financial report also shows this was partially offset by public transport claims, which have increased significantly over that time.
Between April 2018 to March 2019, elected members claimed more than £10,000 in such expenses, a 41% increase compared to the previous years' claims of £7,552.
