Causeway Coast and Glens councillors ask if the Mayor's budget is being used as a 'dumping ground'?

During a report to members, at a Finance Committee meeting on Thursday, April 11, Officers said the £24,000 annual budget for Mayor’s Expenses was used for several items such as printing, stationery, and photographic expenses.

UUP Councillor Richard Holmes said that, having looked over a summary of the expenses, “you get the impression it’s being used as a dumping ground for lots of stuff”.

“Civic gifts, those types of things, come out of the budget,” Cllr Holmes added. “But one of the big ones is photographs. When you’re standing at a cold and wet Benone Beach promoting the joys of summer in Causeway Coast and Glens it’s part of the whole tourism package, but it comes out of the Mayor’s budget. Ultimately it’s £24,000. This is for Mayoral function and it’s a bit on the tight side for what has to go in there.

“Certainly you don’t want a mayor saying they’re not doing photographs promoting the area because they’re over their budget for the month or year. A lot of stuff ends up in there and it seems to have become politically charged over a period of time, but it’s a small amount of money and is a dumping ground for everything.

“Maybe it needs to open up for what goes in there and maybe the budget needs to be revised to cover some of those marketing things for the area, corporate gifts, etc.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Leanne Peacock agreed that it was unfair that the “Mayor or Deputy Mayor are out there promoting our area and getting photographs taken” and having the mayoral budget deducted for it.

“You would think it would be more of a corporate function of this council,” Cllr Peacock added.

Chief Finance Officer, David Wright, said the budget was increased to £30,000 per year during the rates-striking process in February, and recommended that officers return a paper on the budget.

Mr Wright concluded: “It is a modest increase recognising costs have gone up, but I would say is that it’s the Mayor’s budget and it’s at his discretion what it’s spent on.”

“If they decide to spend it on having photographs, that’s the Mayor’s call.”