At first glance many tax payers will wince at the amount of money councillors collected in allowances and expenses last year.
Breaking the figures down shows at least six councillors claim more than £300 a week - more than many people earn from their full-time job.But it should be remembered that many of our elected members spend thousands of hours a year working to help their constituents. Leader Morris Bright says he rarely spends less than 25 hours a week on council matters.The price of democracy is not cheap, but ultimately voters have the power to remove councillors if they do not believe they are receiving value for money.
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