Expense claims on council website

DETAILS of councillor expenses, including travel and mobile phone costs, will be archived on a council website.
Cardinia Shire councillor Brett Owen called for expense details for each month to be kept on the site until a new council was elected.
“The website just shows up the previous months’ expenses,” he said.
“I’m asking for it to be kept on the website to give a full picture, not just a snapshot.”
Civic leaders voted 4-3 for the web page to be introduced at a council meeting in December.
Some councillors said it would improve the council’s transparency, while others were concerned that figures might be misleading.
According to the website, mayor Bill Pearson claimed $1,631.17 (1803 kilometres) for travel expenses for the month of March, while councillor Graeme Legge $2,109 (2,109 kilometres) from 12 January to 31 March.
In April, all seven councillors claimed mobile phone usage costs ranging from $7.58 to $67.88.
No general or professional expenses were claimed last month.