Port Phillip councillors repay travel expenses after Myki confusion
Several Port Phillip councillors have had to repay money claimed as ratepayer-funded travel expenses for trips to the football or work. One councillor racked up an almost $3000 claim in the train-ticket debacle.
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Port Phillip councillors have been forced to repay thousands of dollars of ratepayers’ money following an audit of travel expenses.
It was revealed five councillors had claimed expenses for personal travel — including tram trips to football games and their day jobs — totalling about $3000, with Cr Tim Baxter owing $2802 of that.
The money was repaid after a Freedom of Information request was lodged into his costly travel claims.
Cr Baxter has not responded to the Leader’s questions – asked four days ago – regarding his claims, which were more than double that of any other councillor last year.
But in a Facebook post last night, he said he had used his council Myki each day “fully thinking it was my personal card”.
“All I can say is it definitely was not intentional, and I've made sure to reconcile it as best I can. I’m not interested in using council funds for my own benefit,” he wrote.
Cr Baxter denied he repaid the money in reponse to the FOI request - seen by the Leader - made by the Ratepayers of Port Phillip group in December.
Calling them a “pack of trolls”, he wrote, “I've never received an FOI request on this matter”.
Cr Andrew Bond, who repaid $71.27 said he had accidentally used his “identical” council-issued card on a few occasions.
“The council provided me with statements and I paid anything that didn't tally up with council travel,” he said.
“I figured if I’d jumped on the 96 tram on a Friday night when North (Melbourne) were playing I was probably on my way to the game and not on council business.”
Cr Bond said he now has stickers on his council Myki to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
He has pushed for regular reviews of councillor expenses and entitlements to ensure transparency.
In September last year, the majority of councillors voted against a review of Port Phillip’s councillor reimbursement policy with only Crs Bond, Marcus Pearl and Dick Gross in favour.
Cr Pearl said the second he tapped on with his council Myki on the way to work, he realised what he’d done and arranged to repay the $7.60.
Cr Katharine Copsey said she used the wrong Myki on one occasion and had repaid $4, while Cr Ogy Simic repaid $134 in another case of Myki confusion.
Ratepayers of Port Phillip president Campbell Spence called on Cr Baxter to explain his hefty claim.
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Mr Spence said the group had not received copies of the documents requested under Freedom of Information but noted Cr Baxter had since repaid $2802 of his expenses.
Earlier this month another councillor came under fire over alleged dodgy childcare expenses.
A spokeswoman for Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek said councils should have controls in place to ensure work-related expenses are not misused.
“Councillors are always expected to act in the best interest of the communities they represent and in accordance with the (Local Government) Act,” she said.