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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ! A- _0 `) h$ K2 m* Q8 z
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Edmontonians could face a "scary" tax hike of up to 10% next year, Mayor Stephen Mandel said. That would be the highest property tax increase since the 1980s.
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! o# p" n: ]" g8 k' D KMandel tossed out the figure yesterday following a presentation by administration that outlined the intense economic pressures the city is facing as a result of Alberta's economic boom. 4 D) F# v7 `: x- z2 J* ?/ a: x' z
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. + ?4 S+ N4 k& o |3 f* s
( C/ `. X& Z7 e8 _City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
, k1 W. C3 h! j% t2 a0 k"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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7 ~# z9 X7 k+ \"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. ' K' X1 Q8 m+ A7 p& r) [3 [
0 Y) x) F. B$ S1 CCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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) G \( b9 Q# M- }& }8 _"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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) P# }( J* L5 O/ h) H' L4 h3 n: i"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ) N( D$ [2 h u5 s% q$ s5 T
: k/ z, `2 Z" w3 f4 \Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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* D8 y* p$ K0 X( m* E- [2 WHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. $ y7 t0 n9 r; B2 J! x8 T0 u
' ^) ]2 _4 A+ D/ n. i; r"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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"I don't know what some of these members of council are going to be able to say to some pensioner who got a 2% hike in their pension." 4 n4 ]1 i4 `, y
! K# L. f; s- g0 ]: U4 pThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ) \, o. n+ M+ j
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The tax on homes will go up higher than average - about 7%. The figures include both municipal tax and the provincial education tax, which the city collects.
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Tax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
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发表于 2007-5-9 22:25
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发表于 2007-5-10 11:37
