I'm sure this was a real challenge for the IT and accounts people at County Hall, who deserve our thanks for this service to democracy. There is so much information that, frankly, only the Audit Commission could properly make sense of it. Er...
My own initial cursory glance could find no scandals. I did however think that the expenses claims of chief executive Kevin Lavery would provide good sport, and I wasn't entirely disappointed.
I don't know how long Kevin spends each month filling in his expenses, but you have to admire his attention to detail. No car journey is too short to avoid a claim - even from New County Hall to Truro (one mile.) He also seems to be on a deal which allows him to claim mileage from his home.
On the basis of the four months I examined, he seems to claim more than 6,500 miles per year - which I am sure is 100% genuine, but I wonder why the council doesn't just give him a white van, which under today's tax rules would probably be cheaper.
Taxpayers also cover his domestic BT claims, including broadband. When he needs to go to London, Kevin often flies from Newquay to Gatwick (so do I,) claiming £13.80 for parking at the council-owned airport and then gets the Gatwick Express (standard class) and when necessary stays in £120-a-night hotels (more than I can afford but hardly extravagant.)
As far as I can tell, every single one of the expenses now available for you to read on the council's website is within the rules, and our £200,000/year chief exec is perfectly entitled to claim them.
Personally I am absolutely useless at claiming expenses. The form-filling and authorisations required are so time-consuming that 99 times out of 100 I just can't be bothered, and I know my bank account is much the poorer for it. I would make a terrible bureaucrat.
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