By Hamish Heard
HOBSONS Bay ratepayers paid out $166,190 in expenses for the municipality’s seven councillors during the past financial year.
Councillors received an average of $23,741 from the council during the 2006-07 fiscal year, according to an expense report released to Star.
The expenses included mayoral and councillor allowances, travel, telephone, Internet and childcare costs incurred as a result of council duties.
The biggest spender was Councillor Carl Marsich, whose expenditure totalled $37,026.
Cr Marsich’s figures were inflated because of his time as mayor, which ended in November last year.
He incurred $2040 in childcare costs and spent $3400 during a trip to Hobsons Bay’s sister city in Japan.
Coming in second was the mayor Leigh Harding, whose mayoral allowance saw him receive more than double the amount paid to other councillors apart from Cr Marsich.
Councillor Peter Hemphill was also part of the delegation that went to Japan but only spent $1048 during the trip.
Councillor Angela Altair also racked up travel expenses, with a $1638 trip to Sydney for a sustainability conference.
Seabrook Ward councillor Renee Caruana was the cheapest councillor, with expenses of $16,777 including the $15,000 allowance that is paid to each councillor.
Councillors’ telephones and Blackberry services cost ratepayers $13,500, with Cr Mary Ann Lindsay racking up the highest phone bill of $3615.
Ratepayers also paid $700 for councillors to use taxis during the year and Internet expenses totalled $7410.
