Powys County Council has revealed the full list of allowances paid to its elected councillors during the last financial year which finished on March 31.
The total paid out in salary and expenses to the council’s 74 elected members ran to £1,319,107, just shy of a 1% increase that was paid out the previous year.
Top of the list is Cllr Barry Thomas, from Llanfihangel, with £45,607 made up from his salary as Leader of the Council of £26,773.14 and the standard councillor salary, received by all elected councillors, of £13,336.44. He also claimed £5,548 in travel expenses for the year.
Other prominent local names in the top 10 include No. 2 on the list Cllr Graham Brown, from Llandrinio, whose £36,401.50 income is bumped up by the £17,999.16 earned as the Deputy Leader.
Welshpool’s Cllr Phil Pritchard (£30,915.41), Montgomery’s Cllr Stephen Hayes (£31,214.58), Dolforwyn’s Cllr Wynn Jones (£36,118.20) and Llanwddyn’s Cllr Darren Mayor (£32,932.40) also make the top 10 largely due to being both cabinet members and also the added travel expenses due to the distance travelled regularly to County Hall, Llandrindod Wells.
The council has been asked to comment and the latest allowances list.
To see the full list, visit http://powys.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s7294/Appendix%20A%20-%20Councillors%20Allowances%20Expenses%202015-16.pdf