Councillor bills hit ratepayers
Perth ratepayers spent more than $83,000 reimbursing councillors last year, including nearly $42,000 for clothes.
Phone bills, clothes, dry cleaning, taxis, haircuts and corporate gifts were among the items claimed by the City of Perth's eight councillors and Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi in 2013-14.
Figures obtained by _The Weekend West _showed councillors collectively claimed $41,955 for clothes, $9604 for phones and computers and $5903 for corporate gifts.
Councillors varied considerably in what and how much they claimed.
Councillors Lily Chen and Jim Adamos each claimed more than $9000 for clothes, while Ms Scaffidi claimed $7569 and Reece Harley, who was only elected in October 2013, claimed none.
Cr Chen said presentation was important because councillors were representing their city.
"To me a well-dressed councillor means he or she takes their position seriously and their conduct of their civic duties shall reflect their neat and nice presentation," she said.
"The expenses are not enough as I spend much more for those items out of my own pocket."
Other councillors claimed to attend conferences or training courses related to their roles. Janet Davidson, who along with Cr Chen claimed the maximum $13,360 during the year, claimed $4505 in flights and $882 in conference registration.
Similarly, James Limnios claimed $3471 in conference registration and $370 in flights in a year in which he flew to Sydney for the world business forum and attended a contract law course.
Cr Limnios, who chairs the council's works and urban development committee, said it was important for capital city councillors to continue to educate themselves.
"I put a lot of emphasis on self- improvement," he said. "Self- improvement and self-development is one of the most important things you can do."
Cr Davidson said she sat on two local government national boards and attended conferences "to keep abreast of current practices".
Of the councillors that served a full term in 2013-14, Judy McEvoy claimed the least with $3768.
Perth chief executive Gary Stevenson said all expenses were claimed in accordance with the Local Government Act and City of Perth policy.
Not all amounts related to actual reimbursements as some costs, such as travel, telephone expenses and seminar bookings, were paid by the council and allocated to members' expense accounts.
