The chair of Andreas Commissioners says expense allowances shouldn’t be a factor in standing for a local authority position.

Members across all 21 local authorities are allowed to claim back expenses for attending meetings, and some can claim for mileage, but not all opt in to this.

Wednesday (November 4) was the final opportunity for people to declare their intentions to stand in a number of by-elections across the island.

Jackie Faragher, who’s been a representative for the parish for six years, said Andreas Commissioners had never claimed the allowances, explaining that the distances involved in travelling to meetings were minimal.

‘We all live in the parish. We all live within a five-minute walk from the parish hall, so I don’t see the point,’ she said.

‘If we do what we do for the parish, it’s because we’re passionate about it, and it’s not about the money.’

Asked whether expense allowances could encourage more people to stand, Mrs Faragher said she understood they could be more beneficial for members of larger authorities who attended several meetings each week.

However, she said the arrangements were less significant for smaller authorities such as Andreas, where members typically attend two meetings each month.

‘We meet once a month and then we’re on a committee, which is another meeting a month,’ she said.

‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to retire on what we would get for going to two meetings.’

She added that she believed there were more important issues for prospective candidates to consider than the financial allowances.

‘I don’t think the small amount of money that’s involved in going to meetings would make anybody think, “Oh gosh, I must stand to be a commissioner”,’ she said.

‘I think you do it from the heart, not from your pocket.’