Fifteen county councillors have refused to reveal if they stayed in Oxford hotels at taxpayers’ expense to beat the snow and make it to a crucial budget meeting.

All 74 Oxfordshire county councillors were told they could stay in hotels on expenses to make sure they attended Tuesday’s meeting at County Hall, to set the council tax for 2009/10, if they feared the forecast heavy snow would stop them getting to the city.

We emailed all 74 councillors and 15 — all Conservative — followed their leader Keith Mitchell in refusing to answer if they had taken up the offer.

Thirty-one councillors were confirmed as not staying in hotels. But Susie Squire, from the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “I think this sends out a very bad message to the public about the council’s spending priorities. If councillors stayed at a hotel they should declare it and be open with taxpayers about how their money is being spent.”

Nine Liberal Democrats, eight Conservatives, eight Labour, five Greens and one independent did not stay in hotels.

Several councillors said it was a private matter but would be on the public record of expense claims.

Husband and wife Michael and Marilyn Badcock said: “How I decided to ensure I attended Tuesday’s budget council meeting is my decision.

“If I make a claim within the members’ allowance scheme, this will be a matter of public record and proper audit process.”

County transport chief Ian Hudspeth said: “Is this really an issue that the electorate of Oxfordshire are interested in?”

The only two councillors who have said they stayed at the Malmaison at Oxford Castle, Liberal Democrats Anne Purse and Zoe Patrick, booked rooms independently of the offer and said they had no intention of claiming.