A council has been criticized for choosing a more expensive option for the mayor’s new electric car.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council opted to lease an Audi e-tron executive saloon vehicle at a cost of £41,194 over three years.
A majority of council members rejected a cheaper option offered by officials to lease an electric Skoda Enyaq SUV that would have saved taxpayers more than £13,000.
His three-year lease would have cost £27,942 and the vehicle boasts better mileage on a single charge.
The Skoda’s range is 333 miles on a charge compared to 274 miles for the Audi, according to figures presented to councillors.
A Sinn Féin-backed SDLP proposal to choose the Skoda was rejected as councilors from DUP, UUP and Alliance supported the Audi option instead.
The decision was taken in closed session during a monthly council meeting in late November, but the minutes were only released recently.
SDLP councilor Ryan Wilson said Skoda’s electric car would have been a “more efficient” use of taxpayers’ money.
“It seems that the Audi brand was more tempting than ensuring tariff payers got value for money,” he added.
“At a time when we are contemplating what rate to hit for the next fiscal year, let’s ensure value for money and not waste money on premium branded vehicles to chauffeur the mayor around the borough.”
The Dunsilly area representative said councilors should ensure “value for money is achieved”.
It is the first time that the council has opted for an electric vehicle as a means of transport for the mayor to carry out his civic engagement.
The local authority’s lease on its current mayor’s vehicle expires in March.
Last October, Belfast City Council switched to an electric mayoral vehicle for the first time.
The city councilors also disagreed on the choice of model, but opted for an Audi e-tron.
Sinn Féin councilor Ciaran Beattie had said a cheaper Hyundai model was preferable to the “luxury car”.
But most councilors sided with the Audi after arguing that the vehicle had better mileage and more rear and trunk space on a single charge.
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