Expenses kept ‘quiet’ at City

Kim Waters
GEELONG councillors are claiming “unreported” expenses, a council meeting heard this week.
Councillor Jan Farrell also accused unnamed colleagues of keeping their hidden expenses “quiet”.
She said council’s draft 2010 councillor expenses policy threatened to give “ourselves and the community” a false sense of security about the transparency of expense claims.
“It needs to cover all the things that are happening in the background quietly – the things that aren’t reported,” Cr Farrell said.
“This policy is not about transparent reporting.”
Cr Farrell raised a $1200, six-month rail pass given to councillors Andy Richards and John Doull as an example of a “hidden” expense that failed to rate a mention in the draft policy.
“It’s not equitable for all councillors,” Cr Farrell said.
“If we’re to have an expenses policy…it needs to be transparent.”
Cr Andy Richards said after the council debate on the draft that he had “faith” City Hall staff would come up with a policy “that works”.
“Given that councillors voted to defer the policy last night unanimously, I’d say we have more work to do as a council,” Cr Andy Richards said.
“Whether it’s by car or by a public transport allowance, I’m sure we’ll come up with a reasonable policy.”
The Expenses and Facilities policy also came under fire from councillor Rod MacDonald who criticised the expenses policy, calling for the removal of a $1000 limit on payments to cover attendance at local functions.
“I see it as probably ridiculous that we would have to come back to council just to attend a lunch,” Cr Macdonald said.
But Cr Bruce Harwood backed the limit, saying it was “more than generous”. He believed that a $3000 annual limit for attending conferences, seminars and meetings was also acceptable.
“It does keep us vigilant of our duties in relation to the cost of rate-payers expenses – it’s there to support and protect us.”
The draft policy set out limits for various claims ranging from office expenses to taxis and taking spouses to public events.
City Hall releases to the media on request a summary of expenses covering set items including allowances, car travel, flights and phones. The summary has previously failed to include items such as the rail passes.
Councillors voted to defer their vote on the new policy.