Allowances for councillors revealed

Councillors in the Black Country cost taxpayers more than £3.8m in allowances last year, figures revealed today show.

The amounts paid to every single councillor was laid bare and showed vast differences in amounts paid between different boroughs.

Labour-controlled Sandwell pays the most generous basic rate to its elected members out of the four boroughs with a basic rate of £10,650 paid to all 72 members.

Click here for Sandwell councillor allowances

By contrast Wolverhampton City Council gives its councillors £8,980.

The highest earners in most cases were the council leaders with Tory-Lib Dem controlled Wolverhampton's Neville Patten receiving a total of £35,922.

Click here for Wolverhampton councillor allowances

Sandwell's Darren Cooper received £29,091 but was entitled to claim a further £5,000. He chose not to do so.

Dudley Tory leader Councillor Anne Millward was paid £15,969 in 2008/9 before she became the leader. The authority has since upped her special responsibility allowance to £19,080.

Dudley councillor allowances: Click here.

In Birmingham the Tory leader Councillor Mike Whitby was paid £55,946 on top of his basic allowance.

Birmingham councillor allowances: Click here.

However in Walsall the former mayor Councillor John O'Hare was paid more than the leader Councillor Mike Bird. With his special responsibility allowance he took home £31,919 compared to Councillor Bird's £29,390.

Walsall councillor allowances: Click here.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, leader of Wolverhampton's opposition Labour group, was paid £27,714.16.