Is your councillor flying through their grant budget?

Just five of Devon’s 60 councillors have yet to dip into a budget they’re given to support local organisations and initiatives.

All of the county council’s members are given £8,000 as part of what is known as a ‘locality budget’, which they can use to help groups or events in their division. 
That’s a total of £480,000 across all the councillors combined.
So far since the current crop of councillors were elected in May, £153,000 has been either spent or pledged via 207 applications, some of which are still being assessed.
Any unspent money does usually roll-over into the next financial year, however, around £55,000 that was unspent by councillors last year is being redirected into two community pots.
That’s because the unspent locality budget cash doesn’t transfer to new councillors following a local election.
But Devon’s new cohort of councillors who emerged successful in May’s election has quickly started spending out of their locality budget.
Only five councillors – the Conservative group leader Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (Wearside and Topsham), Cllr Heather Horner (Reform UK, Ipplepen & The Kerswells), Richard Jefferies (Liberal Democrat, Feniton & Honiton), the cabinet member for children’s social services, Cllr Stuart Rogers (Conservative, Ashburton & Buckfastleigh), and Cllr Tony Dempster (Reform UK, Kingsteignton & Teign Estuary) – have not spent anything so far.
It is possible that these councillors have not yet received any applications by groups or organisations in their division, or they could be in the process of agreeing to grant some of the cash but those requests are being finalised.
The locality budget spending data is correct as of 1 September, according to Devon County Council’s website.
The person who has spent the most is Cllr Debo Sellis (Conservative, Tavistock), one of the administration’s longest serving councillors. She only spent £6,950 and so has just over £1,000 left.
Among her donations include £2,000 resurfacing a car park and replacing damaged water pipes in Gulworthy, and £500 for Tavistock library.
Lib Dem member Cllr David Cox (Teignmouth) has spent the next largest amount so far at £6,700, meaning he has just £1,300 left. He has donated £1,000 towards the installation of an accessible toilet at Kingsway Community Enterprises, and £1,000 for children’s activities for Teignmouth Carnival.
And the leader of the council, Cllr Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), has just under £2,000 left after spending £6,075 so far.
His grants include £1,000 to Kingsbridge Age Concern, £800 towards plants and compost for Kingsbridge in Bloom, and £450 for climbing equipment for Kingsbridge Community College.