Gold Coast City Council: Councillor expenses revealed in new report

Gold Coast councillors cost ratepayers a significant amount of money in expenses in the past financial year. A new report revealing the size of their phone bills and expenses. SEE THE FULL LIST OF BIGGEST AND LOWEST SPENDERS

GOLD Coast councillors have cost ratepayers more than $122,000 in expenses in the past financial year a new report reveals.

The council’s annual report shines a light on the spending of city leaders during the 2019-20 financial year and shows Mayor Tom Tate is the top spender, notching up more than $14,300 in expenses in that time.

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Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Steve Holland/NCA NewsWire

The 19 current and former councillors listed include those who either retired or were defeated at the March 2020 election.

The expenses come on top of city leaders salaries, which exceeded $2.6 million

Expenses listed in the report include printing and stationery, mobile phone bills, travel and conferences and “reasonable business expenses” which is defined as including anything from parking fees, work meals, raffle tickets at community functions and consumable office supplies such as newspapers, lollies and milk.

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New councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden did not spend much. Picture: Mike Batterham

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The councillors charged more than $53,508 in reasonable business expenses, $47,040 in printing, stationery and postage and nearly $17,000 in phone bills.

Councillor expenses in 2019-20 was $17,000 above that of five years earlier in 2014-15.

But Cr Tate defended the expenses, arguing it was below that of recent years.

“Overall, councillors have tightened their belts across the board with an 11 per cent decrease in expenditure in 2019-20, compared to 2018-19,” he said.

“2019-20 was also the first-time postage and distribution had been recorded so the savings were actually greater than 11 per cent.

“The average total expense per councillor was around $8000 which includes out-of-pocket expenses, mobile phone, printing, postage and conferences. I applaud councillors for showing the restraint needed as we all work to keep rates at, or below, CPI.’’

Cr Tate had the highest council phone bill, of $1674.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates had the highest spend on printing and stationery with $5963.

Councillor Bob La Castra is the most frugal councillor who served across the full 2019-20 financial year. Picture: Jerad Williams

Carrara councillor Bob La Castra maintained his long-running status as the Coast’s lowest-spending city leader to serve across the full year with just $4929 in expenses.

“I don’t like spending anything that doesn’t need to be spent,” he said.

“If there is necessary information I need to communicate to the community as a whole I will do it but if not, I generally prefer to pick up the phone and speak one-on-one.

“Personally I am happy to have kept the title of the most frugal councillor for another year.”

Councillor Brooke Patterson. Picture: Jerad Williams

Rookie Southport councillor Brooke Patterson, who was elected in March, recorded a postage, printing and stationery bill of $5340.28 during her first two months in office, the report shows.

This was around $400 more than Cr La Castra’s entire spending in the full 2019-20 financial year.

Of new city leaders elected in March, the most frugal spender was new Arundel councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden.

He charged just $231 in his first two months in office, with just $34.49 in printing and stationery.