THE screws are being tightened on Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors’ off-the-record expense claims.
A three-part notice of motion put by Cr David Gill last week – and passed unanimously – will ensure councillors’ reimbursement claims and requests for training, personal development, entertainment or other expenses, including payments for tickets for functions, should only be claimable from their expense allowances and not through any other council accounts.
Secondly, all past claims presented by councillors not claimable under legislation or Mornington Peninsula Shire Council protocols, must now be reported to council.
The third part of the motion was to remind councillors that “asking for gifts or a benefit from anyone is an offence under the Local Government Act 1989”.
Officers stated that councillor claims for reimbursement were lodged through councillor support and reviewed by the head of governance and legal and the director for corporate services prior to payment. These claims are reviewed in accordance with the Councillor Expenses Reimbursement, Resources and Facilities Policy and the Local Government Act 1989 (the Act).
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 March 2020
