Snapshot of how

THE general managers of southern Tasmania’s councils spent thousands of ratepayer dollars on meals, drinks, accommodation and airfares in the last financial year.

As part of the Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian Your Right to Know campaign, councils have been asked to provide details of their general manager’s salary and expenses they have claimed on the council payroll.

Brighton, Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huon Valley and Kingborough all provided the Mercury with the salary and expenses of their general managers.

But the Derwent Valley Council instructed the Mercury to lodge a Right to Information request to obtain general manager Greg Winton’s expenses, which the Mercury has done.

Glamorgan Spring Bay general manager David Metcalf did not respond to a request for credit card information.

Sorell and Tasman, which share the same general manager Robert Higgins, have not responded to the Mercury’s request and RTI requests will be who has been on leave since April, had expenses of $15,570 for the 2016-17 financial year while also being paid $285,625 — inclusive of superannuation but exclusive of payable Fringe Benefit Tax.

Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath’s tally of claimed expenses — he does not have a council credit card and seeks reimbursements with accompanying receipts on council purchases made on his personal credit card — totalled $6404.97.

Mr Heath is still the state’s highest paid general manager, with a salary in the range of $340,000 to $359,999.

Clarence City Council general manager Andrew Paul, on a total package of $271,767, said he did not have a council credit card, with only a few in existence at the council for “essential purchasing”.

Huon Valley Council publishes the expenses claimed on general manager Emilio Reale’s credit car at each council meeting, with the total since he started in February just under $8000, with a new computer system for the council costing nearly $5500.

Mr Reale had the lowest