A senior East Lothian councillor has questioned whether the local authority's membership of Cosla is 'value for money' amid claims the local authority will pay the body £3.4million - equal to 5% of all council tax revenue.
Conservative opposition group leader Councillor Lachlan Bruce said the national floor formula used by the body when negotiating council grants from Scottish Government, means the council is paying millions each year to Cosla, which represents local authorities in pay negotiations with the Scottish Government.
And he asked if the cost of membership could be justified as finance officers said the council faces a £14.4million shortfall in its budget for the coming year.
