MORE than £1.7 million was paid to Surrey county councillors last year in allowances and expenses - the fourth largest payout compared to 27 other county councils in England.

Surrey leader Warlingham councillor David Hodge received £68,081 of the total £1,703,957 paid out in the financial year of 2017 – 2018.

Mr Hodge’s allowance is the second largest of the 27, with Essex County Council heading the list, while Surrey cabinet members received the third highest allowances, behind Essex and Kent.

Surrey deputy leader Addlestone councillor John Furey collected £49,941. This year he will receive slightly less for his special responsibility allowance (SRA), after an independent panel voted to cut the allowance for the role from £31,312 to £27,924.

The vice-chairman Walton South councillor Tony Samuels will also receive less this year dropping from £8,015 to £6,512.

A basic allowance of £12,442 is paid to each ward annually to “recognise the commitment of all councillors”. Members are awarded SRAs for positions such as leader and deputy leader, through to cabinet membership, committee chairman roles and opposition group leader. The additional awards range from £170 for an officer of a political group to £43,085 for leader of the council. A councillor can qualify for more than one SRA.

Both Hindhead and Western Villages councillor David Harmer, chairman of Surrey’s audit and governance committee, and Nork councillor and Surrey local pension fund councillor Nick Harrison, receive an increased SRA of £10,019 this financial year.

Expenses are also paid for mileage and subsistance, such as food or accommodation. Topping the chart for the most mileage claimed was Surrey chairman Godalming South, Milford and Witley councillor Peter Martin at £3,924, equating to 8,720 miles over the year.

Of the 110 Surrey county councillors eligible to claim allowances and expenses: A total of 13 claimed an SRA of under £1,000, 42 claimed SRAs of under £10,000, with eight claiming SRAs of under £20,000, and one SRA claim of under £40,000. Eight councillors claimed mileage of under £100, 55 under £1,000, 11 between £1,000 and £2,000, seven over £2,000 and two over £3,000.

Surrey’s grand total of £1.7 million, included 29 claims amounting to under £10,000, 51 between £10,000 and £20,000, 18 between £20,000 and £30,000, five between £30,000 and £40,000 and six claimed more than £40,000. The comparison of 2017-2018 allowances and expenses paid to county councils in England, excludes unitary authorities and London boroughs.

• Former Surrey chief executive David McNulty, who retired in Setember 201, received a pay rise in 2016-2017 of more than £14,000, taking his salary to £230,719. Surrey’s new chief executive Joanna Killian, who will receive a salary of £220,000, was chief executive of Essex County Council from 2006 to 2015 and dubbed England’s “highest paid civil servant” due to her £311,000 salary prior to 2010. Her pay had reduced to £210,000 when she left in 2015 to head KPMG local government.