THE price Colchester taxpayers fork out for the borough’s Mayor and civic events could be reduced more than £10,000 a year.

The Mayoralty budget, highlighted in a survey as the one Colchester residents view as not important, currently stands at £58,500 a year.

A group of councillors, including former Mayors, investigated how to reduce the annual £72,500 spend on the Mayor and events such as the Oyster Feast, and found savings of £4,565.

The savings include limited cuts to the sums spent on hosting events, the costs of the Mayor travelling to and from events and hospitality for guests.

They also believe they can increase income by £6,050 to £20,050, partly by offering fewer free tickets to attend the annual feast.

The Mayor, due to be Helen Chuah next year, will continue to receive an £11,600 allowance to cover out of pocket expenses.

The budget is also due to be split between a Mayoral budget, which will cover hospitality, and a civic budget, which will pay for mandatory events.