Councillor Expenses

Stockton Borough Councillors are paid an annual allowance. This means that being a councillor isn't only open to well-off people. Some councillors receive an extra allowance, called a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the extra work involved in being for example a Group Leader or Chair of committee.

The allowances are subject to income tax and national insurance.

Allowances for travel and subsistence (meals, hotels etc) can only be claimed if the journey is necessary for council business, not to visit the ward or to go to meetings about such things as policing the ward. They include some regional meetings at which councillors represent the borough.

The list of allowances payable to councillors for 2009-10 can be found at http://www.stockton.gov.uk/yourcouncil/egenda/your_councillors/membersallowances/

For 2008-9 the allowances claimed by Liberal Democrat councillors were as follows:

In addition, for the year ended 1-4-09, Cllr John Fletcher received an allowance of £17,500 (less tax & National Insurance) as Mayor of this Borough, together with transport and support of the Civic team for his mayoral duties. He used this allowance to cover the costs of being Mayor and charitable donations.