Councillors representing constituents living in four wards encapsulating Wishaw, Shotts and surrounding areas received almost a quarter of a million pounds in salaries and expenses for their services to the local authority during the last financial year.
The 16 councillors from four wards; Wishaw, Murdostoun,Fortissat, and Motherwell South East & Ravenscraig were paid £309,768 in salaries and expenses before deductions for tax and National Insurance (NI). After deductions the councillors took home a total of £244,801.
Between them they claimed expenses totalling £5149 before deductions.
The highest expenses claims were made by Murdostoun ward’s Independent councillor Robert McKendrick who received £1496 – £770 in mileage and £716 in communications costs. Wishaw’s Tory councillor Bob Burgess had the second highest claim at £795.
The lowest expenses claims were for just £75 – by four councillors – Wishaw ward representatives Angela Feeney (Ind) and Fiona Fotheringham (SNP), and Motherwell South East & Ravenscraig councillors Nathan Wilson (Con) and Agnes Magowan (SNP).
The four councillors representing constituents in the Wishaw ward claimed a total of £1,318 in expenses during the last financial year.
Three of the four councillors; Fiona Fotheringham, Jim Hume (SNP) and Angela Feeney received basic salaries of £17,403 each for carrying out their duties, while Bob Burgess was paid £15,893. Cllr Burgess claimed a total of £794 in expenses, made up of £719 in mileage and a further £75 communication costs. Cllr Hume claimed £373 for communication costs.
Councillors claims for communications technology include phones.
Councillors Feeney and Fotheringham both only claimed £75 each in total, both for communication costs.
Murdostoun ward councillor Louise Roarty (Lab) received a basic salary of £30,457 as Labour Group business manager, she claimed £10 for travel expenses and £147 for communication costs. Nicky Shevlin (Lab), convenor of the local authority’s Regulatory Committee was paid a salary of £24,720, he claimed communications expenses of £104.
Fellow Murdostoun councillors Robert McKendrick (Ind) and Cameron McManus (SNP) both received basic salaries of £17,403. The former claimed a total of £1496 made up of £779 in mileage and £716 in communication costs. Cllr McManus claimed £116, £75 for communications and £41 for travel costs.
In the Fortissat ward, which includes Shotts, all four councillors; Tommy Cochrane (Ind), Martin McCulloch (Lab), Clare Quigley (Lab) and Kenny Stevenson (Lab) all received basic salaries of £17,403.
Cllr Cochrane claimed £131 for communications. Cllr McCulloch claimed a total of £426 – £75 for communications and £349 mileage.
Cllr Quigley received a total of £479 for expenses, £112 for communications and £367 in mileage. And Cllr Stevenson claimed £94, £75 of that was for communications and £19 for car recharging.
The four representatives for the Motherwell South East & Ravenscraig ward which includes Craigneuk claimed a total of £828 in expenses.
Cllr Kenneth Duffy (Lab), convenor of the council’s Transformation & Digitisation Committee was paid a basic salary of £24,720 and claimed £601 in expenses.
That consisted of £497 mileage and £104 in communication costs.
Cllrs Agnes Magowan, Alan Valentine (both SNP) and N Wilson (Con) were each paid the basic £17,403 salary. Cllrs Magowan and Wilson claimed £75 each for communication costs.
Cllr Valentine’s claim for the same expense cost £2 more at £77. The leader of the council Jim Logue took home £39,128 after deductions.
He claimed expenses of £2683. Provost Jean Jones was paid £29,926 after deductions. She claimed £7,144 in expenses. The Provost’s salary of £31,451 includes £961 in respect of the Civic Head allowance for shared duties.
