SENIOR Sussex council staff could share more than £50,000 between them for overseeing June’s EU referendum, The Argus can reveal.

Council bosses have claimed four-figure payouts for acting as returning officers during this summer’s referendum.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s chief executive Geoff Raw is entitled to up to £8,642 while Eastbourne and Lewes council’s Rob Cottrill has claimed £6,581.

Union bosses described the sums as “obscene” and urged council bosses to pay the money back into the public purse.

Government figures also show that the cost of holding the referendum across the county will cost the taxpayer £2.1 million.

The payouts come less than a year after returning officers were paid for overseeing general and local elections.

Last year The Argus revealed that former Brighton and Hove chief executive Penny Thompson was paid £26,000 for two elections in May 2015.

The payouts are discretionary and counting officers can agree to share out the fee among staff.

GMB secretary Mark Turner said: “That is an obscene amount of money to just stand around and make sure the council is doing the counting correctly and then reading out a result.

“That amount of money is the same that nursery assistants stand to lose from their annual wages.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said: "The claim for operational costs incurred by Brighton and Hove City Council by the EU Referendum in June has not yet been finalised.

"Like most local authorities we are still preparing the details of the claim for submission to central government.”

An Adur and Worthing councils spokesman said the £6,162 fee will be divided between chief executive Alex Bailey, two deputy officers and electoral services staff.

He added the law requires the counting officer role to be a separate contract to prevent suggestions of political influence on the electoral process and that the role is extremely complex requiring months of planning.

A spokesman for Eastbourne and Lewes councils said: “The returning officer fee is set by the Electoral Commission.

“The level of payment is a contractual entitlement and is in recognition of the absolute and final accountability associated with the position of returning officer in the lawful discharge of elections and referendums.”

Mid Sussex District Council’s head of legal has claimed the full £1,462 while Hastings Borough Council said that £2,712 will be paid to its counting officer.

A spokesman for Wealden District Council, whose chief executive Charles Lant has claimed £5,499, said: “The role of counting officer is a position of great responsibility in which the office holder is personally responsible for ensuring elections are administered effectively.”

A spokesman for Rother District Council, who confirmed executive director of resources Malcolm Johnstone is set to receive £3,301, said: “These two roles are entirely distinct and the payment he received is not a bonus but a fee paid for carrying out the separate job of counting officer.”