Expenses claimed by councillors dropped significantly last year as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
Overall, expenses for South Lanarkshire's elected representatives fell by 63 per cent from £61,530 in 2019-20 to £22,729 in 2020-21.
Spending on travel, training, conferences and subsistence was down, however spending on IT and telephones increased by 38 per cent as council business moved online.
Larkhall councillor Jackie Burns had the highest expenses of any councillor at £1743 including £1400 in travel costs.
Councillor Catherine McClymont (Clydesdale North) was the only other councillor to have more than £1000 worth of expenses.
In total, £1157 including £609 in travel and £548 in IT and telephone costs was either reimbursed or paid by the council on her behalf.
Cllr Richard Nelson (Larkhall) had the third-highest expenses of any councillor at £990 which included £818 of IT and telephone costs.
However, Cllr Bert Thompson had had more IT and telephone costs than any other councillor after all of his £874 expenses related to it.
Councillors are paid a basic salary of £17,854 after a two per cent pay rise last year, with senior councillors such as the council leader and depute, the Provost and Depute Provost, committee chairpersons and leaders of opposition groups given an extra allowance of between £3466 and £23,808.
In total, travel expenses fell by 88 per cent, from £42,055 in 2019-20 to just £4297 last year.
Telephone and IT costs increased from £10,572 in 2019-20 to £17,308 last year while all other expenses fell 94 per cent from £8903 in 2019-20 to just £494 last year.
The lowest expenses attributed to a single councillor was £116, with several including Conservative group leader Councillor Alex Allison (Clydesdale East), Councillor Monique McAdams (East Kilbride West) and Councillor Davie McLachlan (Hamilton North and East) not claiming any other expenses.
Expenses attributed to each councillor include any successful claims they have made as well as money paid on their behalf by South Lanarkshire Council.
Paul Manning, executive director of finance, said: “Elected members have a wide and varied role to play, including attending meetings and events with constituents and local groups across the South Lanarkshire area. Additionally, depending upon their responsibilities, councillors may also attend Scotland-wide groups.
“Obviously, the pandemic has had an impact on the travelling elected members have been able to do, with many meetings moving to online only.
“This will have had an effect on the amount claimed by members during 2020/21.
“Reasonable travelling and subsistence expenses are provided to elected members in order that they can fulfil their role as effectively as possible.
“The amount of members’ remuneration and expenses and the arrangements for paying them are governed by legislation. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 2004 (Remuneration and Severance Payments) Amendment Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/007) amended the primary legislation and came into force on 1 April 2015.”
Leader of the Labour group, Councillor Joe Fagan (East Kilbride Central North) added: “Councillors have been working in a different way since the start of pandemic.
"More business is conducted online, people have been working from home and traditional meetings and surgeries have been prohibited due to Covid safety requirements. Inevitably that will be reflected in budgets.”
Hamilton West and Earnock's Councillor Mark McGeever, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats group, said: "It's no surprise that people working from home has reduced travel expenses.
"The council using more video calling does lower travel costs, but there can be no doubt that having elected representatives attend in person still has real advantages over dialling-in.
"With debates happening by video call, councils and parliaments across the UK have found it harder to hold decision-makers to account, to effectively scrutinise plans, and to propose changes.
"It was a temporary necessity, but it should never become the norm.
"That said, there is definitely scope to use remote working more than in the past and to ensure councillors who can't get in are still able to take part.
"A few years ago I had to drag myself in for the annual budget vote just 24 hours after my daughter was born, or else let my constituents down.
"The council chamber was the last place I wanted to be that day - and I don't think it's a position that other councillors should be put in now that the technology is in place.
"There is a balance to be struck that saves money and removes barriers to people serving as councillors, while also ensuring a return to proper scrutiny and democratic debate."
The SNP and Conservative groups declined to comment.
Councillors expenses
Clydesdale
| Name | Position | Basic pay | Travel | Telephone + IT | Other |
| Alex Allison | Conservative group leader | £23,630 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Poppy Corbett | Councillor | £17,854 | £142 | £116 | £0 |
| George Greenshields | Councillor | £17,854 | £248 | £107 | £0 |
| Lynsey Hamilton | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Eric Holford | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Mark Horsham | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Richard Lockhart | Chair of Clydesdale area committee | £21,320 | £0 | £301 | £0 |
| Eileen Logan | Councillor | £17,854 | £316 | £233 | £0 |
| Julia Marrs | Councillor | £17,854 | £125 | £497 | £0 |
| Ian McAllan | Provost | £31,248 | £0 | £117 | £0 |
| Catherine McClymont | Councillor | £17,854 | £609 | £548 | £0 |
| Colin McGavigan | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| David Shearer | Chair of Licensing | £21,320 | £74 | £116 | £0 |
| Totals | £258,204 | £1,514 | £3,335 | £0 |
East Kilbride and Avondale
| Name | Position | Basic pay | Travel | Telephone + IT | Other |
| John Anderson | Chair of community + enterprise | £27,099 | £0 | £279 | £0 |
| Archie Buchanan | Chair of East Kilbride area committee | £21,320 | £0 | £117 | £0 |
| Graeme Campbell | Councillor | £17,854 | £363 | £116 | £0 |
| Gerry Convery | Labour group deputy leader | £23,630 | £445 | £230 | £0 |
| Margaret Cooper | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £446 | £0 |
| Isobel Dorman | Chair of Planning | £27,099 | £27 | £117 | £0 |
| Fiona Dryburgh | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Joe Fagan | Labour group leader | £27,099 | £0 | £299 | £0 |
| Grant Ferguson | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Geri Gray | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Ian Harrow | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £122 | £0 |
| Monique McAdams | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Hugh McDonald | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Gladys Miller | Chair of finance | £27,099 | £0 | £263 | £0 |
| Graeme Scott | Councillor | £17,854 | £124 | £116 | £0 |
| Collette Stevenson | Depute Provost | £25,943 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Jim Wardhaugh | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £117 | £0 |
| David Watson | Councillor | £17,854 | £173 | £355 | £0 |
| Totals | £375,683 | £1,132 | £4,233 | £0 |
Hamilton area
| Name | Position | Basic pay | Travel | Telephone + IT | Other |
| Jackie Burns | Councillor | £17,854 | £1,400 | £343 | £0 |
| Stephanie Callaghan | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Andy Carmichael | Councillor | £17,854 | £29 | £242 | £0 |
| Maureen Chalmers | Depute leader | £27,099 | £0 | £356 | £45 |
| Peter Craig | SNP business manager | £27,099 | £0 | £498 | £0 |
| Maureen Devlin | Labour business manager | £21,320 | £0 | £362 | £0 |
| Mary Donnelly | Chair of Hamilton area committee | £21,320 | £5 | £167 | £234 |
| Alan Falconer | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £146 | £0 |
| Graeme Horne | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Martin Hose | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £122 | £0 |
| Joe Lowe | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £118 | £0 |
| Kenny McCreary | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Jim McGuigan | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £136 | £0 |
| Mark McGeever | Councillor | £17,854 | £175 | £107 | £0 |
| Davie McLachlan | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Lynne Nailon | Councillor | £17,854 | £18 | £356 | £0 |
| Richard Nelson | Councillor | £17,854 | £172 | £818 | £0 |
| Mo Razzaq | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £263 | £0 |
| John Ross | Council leader | £41,662 | £0 | £356 | £45 |
| Bert Thomson | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £873 | £0 |
| Josh Wilson | Chair of housing | £27,099 | £0 | £356 | £170 |
| Totals | £433,409 | £1,799 | £6,563 | £494 |
Rutherglen and Cambuslang
| Name | Position | Basic pay | Travel | Telephone + IT | Other |
| John Bradley | Chair of social work | £27,099 | £0 | £117 | £0 |
| Walter Brogan | Councillor | £17,854 | £482 | £364 | £0 |
| Robert Brown | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £246 | £0 |
| Janine Calikes | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £447 | £0 |
| Margaret Cowie | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Alistair Fulton | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £362 | £0 |
| Ann Le Blond | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Martin Lennon | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Katy Loudon | Chair of education | £27,099 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Carol Nugent | Chair of Rutherglen + Cambuslang area committee | £21,320 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Margaret B Walker | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £356 | £0 |
| Jared Wark | Councillor | £17,854 | £0 | £116 | £0 |
| Totals | £236,204 | £482 | £3,068 | £0 |
South Lanarkshire totals
| |
Basic pay | Travel | Telephone + IT | Other |
| 2020-21 | £1,303,500 | £4,927 | £17,308 | £494 |
| 2019-20 | £1,271,301 | £42,055 | £10,572 | £8,903 |
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