A PRUDENT financial budget means taxes will not increase in the Spa for the third year running -- but not all town councillors are pleased.

Droitwich Spa Town Council's resources committee revealed its draft estimates for the financial year 2002-2003 at a meeting on Monday night.

Committee chairman Cllr Hugh Hamilton (Con. Droit.Central) tabled the figures for approval, noting the net expenditure remained identical to the previous two years.

He described the £234,000 precept as prudent and cautious.

"No money has been taken from the balances and there has been no need to increase the precept," Cllr Hamilton added.

The draft report featured no income estimate for the charter market licence because the future of the Friday (charter day) trading is entering an "uncertain period".

Droitwich Spa Property Company, which owns the town's market hall, holds the charter market licence. It must pay the town council part of the income made every Friday, which usually totals around £1,500 a year.

Promoting Droitwich to tourists is expected to cost £1,300 and an extra £3,000 is earmarked for promotional activities in the Golden Jubilee year.

The mayoral allowance remains at £2,400 and a budget of £110,500 is proposed for staff salaries, pensions and overheads -- an increase of nearly £9,000.

St Richard's House may drop its civic wedding licence because the authority spent more cash on promoting the venue than it received from the three couples who married there last year.

Cllr Frank Payne (Lab, Droit.West) called for cash to be set aside to cover concessionary fare costs.

Town council labour leader Cllr Peter Pinfield (Lab, Droit.West) welcomed some aspects of the budget.

He said: "Hands on the till are sensible but our parties obviously have very different ideas on how finances should be spent.

"You could have been a lot more generous but instead you are sitting on massive reserves.

"I appreciate taxes will remain the same, but the town could be missing out."

He was "alarmed" by the increase in the staff budget and wanted to see a larger cash injection into the grants' kitty.

Councillors will be asked to approve the report at a meeting on Monday January 7.

The budget will be submitted to Wychavon District Council to form part of the overall council tax levy.