Figures released by Douglas Council show ratepayers paid out just under £42,000 in members’ attendance allowances in the 2018/19 financial year.

The council releases the figures each year along with a list of how many meetings each councillor attended.

At £4,462.50, Council Leader David Christian received the most in expenses, with Councillor Ritchie McNicholl receiving £4,102.50.

Each man had attended more than 50 hours of council meetings, with Mr Christian attending 51 hours of executive committee meetings to Mr McNicholl’s 47. The latter also attended 61 hours of environmental service committee meetings and meetings of the Eastern District Civic Amenity Site joint committee.

Other councillors were paid the following in expenses:

Councillor Byron£1,657.50; Councillor Callow £1,422.50; Councillor S. Pitts £2,780.50; Councillor Chatel £1,902.50; Councillor Clague £1,700; Councillor Joughin £3,695; Councillor Crawley £2,732.50; Councillor Wells £3,250; Councillor Bentley £1,287.50; Councillor Cain £250; Councillor D. Pitts £1,152.50; Councillor Horning £1,800; Councillor Skinner £2,292.50; Councillor Angela £2,692.50; Councillor Quirk £2,050.50; Councillor Thommeny £1,935.

Expenses paid to members of local authorities are stipulated by the Local Government Act 1985, updated in 2014.

The maximum amount payable to a member is £7.50 per hour for an evening session, up to a limit of £30 and £12.50 per day session, up to a limit of £50.

Members can receive a maximum of £3,600 for attendance at evening meetings and £6,000 for day meetings.

However, many members of local authorities do extra hours for which they receive no financial compensation.