Angus councillors’ expenses have maintained an upward trend with a claim total of just under £620,000 last year.
After a low four-figure rise in 2009/10, newly-issued data for the past 12 months reveals a climb of £8373 less than 1.5% to £619,189.
Coalition council leader Bob Myles’ remuneration and expenses for the year totalled £38,518 a rise of just over £1300. The Alliance chief receives the highest basic pay of the 29 elected members at £32,470, with the remainder of the leader’s payment comprising transport and telephone expenses.
The second highest earning councillor remains civic figurehead Ruth Leslie Melville, with the provost last year claiming £32,706 a £5207 rise on her previous year’s total.
Three Alliance councillors crept over the £25,000 mark deputy council leader Ian Mackintosh (£27,391), corporate services convener Mark Salmond (£26,515) and infrastructure services convener David May (£25,025).
On the SNP opposition, group leader Helen Oswald received £24,701.
Forfar Nationalist councillor Bill Middleton made the lowest remuneration and expenses claim with a total of £16,751.
In terms of expenses only, the highest claimant was Provost Leslie Melville (£8353) and the lowest Alliance councillor David Lumgair, the authority’s development standards committee convener who claimed back just £96 for the year.
The expenses report will be presented to the full meeting of Angus Council in Forfar on Thursday.