Taxpayers have spent £479,184 on allowances for York's councillors in the past year.

The figure is more than £100,000 higher than last year's after a major shake-up of the expenses system in City of York Council.

The council is phasing in a pay rise agreed last August, proposed by an independent panel and supported by all party leaders.

The highest claimant is council leader Rod Hills, who will be paid nearly £24,000.

His deputy Dave Merrett will get £19,789, while Liberal Democrat leader Steve Galloway will be paid £18,361.

John Galvin, the leader of the council's Tory group, has claimed £8,215.

The figures will increase over the next two years as the phasing-in continues.

The new scheme scraps attendance allowance, which rewarded members for the number of meetings they attended, and focuses instead on the responsibilities of individual councillors.

It also includes a basic allowance.

A council spokesman said: "The figures reflect the fact that the new scheme was introduced part way through the financial year, with a view to being fully phased in over three years.

"The costs therefore include part year for the old scheme and part year for the new responsibility allowances."

B A Bell £9,833.83

J Blakeborough £4,594.80

N W Blitz £4,144.82

J Boardman £8,203.90

M J Bradley £14,229.07

S E Braund £6,273.80

H Briggs £7,032.00

T M Brighton £7,203.40

M H K Brumby £14,647.94

K Cooper £124.20

R Cregan £10,263.51

G H Dean £5,344.80

P L Dodd £77.62

E S Edge £8,197.00

R Farrington £4,854.70

R D Fletcher £16,136.80

S Galloway £10,514.14

S F Galloway £18,361.54

J C Galvin £8,215.80

J Greenwood £6,061.40

A C Hall £8,829.90

D Henderson £4,760.40

R I Hills £23,844.46

C M Hogg £5,291.90

J S Hopton £4,259.00

D A Horton £7,410.42

A Jones £16,807.66

V Kind £15,092.56

K W King £7,776.12

M A Kirk £5,300.90

D G Livesey £10,449.47

J M Looker £14,904.04

Q J A MacDonald £8,967.90

D M Merrett £19,789.72

J P Morley £8,678.13

R E Potter £9,138.14

A L Reid £13,649.04

C E Runciman £4,463.70

R E Scrase £15,269.74

T Simpson-Laing £4,875.42

D W Smallwood £8,121.12

R J Snowdon £3,955.40

K A Tarry £3,775.33

S P Tarry £5,404.40

J Vaughan £5,836.00

P Vaughan £12,081.64

C A Waite £8,447.70

T J Walker £5,831.40

C A Wallace £10,030.42

A M Waller £11,521.54

B W J Watson £4,900.70

M R Watson £4,889.20

I M Waudby £11,763.04

M K Waudby £4,272.80

D A Wilde £4,479.82.

Total £479,184.20.

Updated: 11:59 Tuesday, June 12, 2001