A Freedom of Information request has found almost one in four members of North Lanarkshire Council have a mobile phone which is paid for by their employers.
Wishaw Press report:
Around 16,000 staff have nearly 4300 devices between them and the bill for them is up by over £25,000 in the last year.
And over the last five years the cost for mobile phone calls by council workers has cost the taxpayer £1.8million.
Shotts MSP Alex Neil hit out at the costs after Freedom of Information requests uncovered the figures.
But the council argued mobile phones helped efficiency.
Mr Neil said: “This is another example of the financial mismanagement which has the potential to cost jobs and frontline services at North Lanarkshire Council.