THE cost of providing mayors in West Cheshire has reduced following local government reorganisation.
Cheshire West and Chester Council has saved about £80,000 by abolishing the post of mayor for Vale Royal. The mayor of Ellesmere Port was kept following a request by the town’s now defunct borough council.
The post of Lord Mayor of Chester is also retained but even the cost of running this office has been reduced, according to a Freedom of Information response.
The office of the Lord Mayor of Chester, which also includes the deputy mayor, cost £183,870 to run under Chester City Council. The budget for the office under CWAC is slightly reduced at £179,092.
Only the transport budget, which includes the hire of vehicles from Bentley, has risen from £19,700 to £25,000.
The council won’t divulge more details because the agreement is subject to a confidentiality clause. The mayor and deputy mayor’s allowance total £15,330, officer support is £87,362 and £42,000 is spent on hospitality.
Photography costs have diminished compared with the previous regime, down from almost £3,000 to just £500. But the amount spent on official and courtesy visits has risen from nothing to £3,000.
