The county council splashed more than £3,500 on a bosses picture after rising YOUR tax.

Councils have spent £10,600 of public cash on portraits of town hall bosses in the past year.

Around half was spent on a single painting of the boss of Essex County Council – which can be viewed by appointment only.

The figure came from responses to 14 Freedom of Information requests.

Essex County Council – which has increased council tax by an average of £50 in the past year – spent £3,769 on a painting of its chairman, John Jowers.

This included a £38 fee for the artist to visit Councillor Jowers to talk ‘about how he would like to be sat and what sort of style of painting he would like’.

The portrait shows the chairman – who received £35,061 in allowances last year and once claimed councillors offer the taxpayer ‘good value for money’ – sitting cross-legged with his hands in his lap in a navy suit and gold chain of office.

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “Essex County Council has commissioned a painting or photograph of every Chairman since 1900.

“An artist or professional photographer is paid for their services, which can include work prior to delivery of the picture and any processes required in its production.

“The paintings and photographs are displayed in public areas in County Hall, including corridors and meeting rooms.”