 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike/ N1 f. Z0 i+ O1 r2 A
6 h# |. G" _( M* QThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 6 t, ]* z- Y0 f% h5 o
5 j3 v2 R8 L+ U7 J; t
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.
& C$ ` Q& c. k: ~7 I o
4 ^" f: h9 V0 s5 \: V7 NMandel 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.
2 y. }4 x$ [3 Z% T( @3 C% C' T$ m) {" w" e( D& c
"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
6 |) K. o' q: u3 D2 |- c% V# H! u0 E* R5 K; k8 Y, Z
City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates( C: L& s, M6 d% H
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. : B) r9 L' @+ l- y( h* j
% A, ?' O3 R7 F3 s5 T, d/ S+ y, RA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
7 u) S- b6 J5 s) c- q, l" C, O- H3 V2 L
"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
' s) {+ c( W* P, D+ O2 D% @
3 \& d7 J3 E. h, K8 H* Y a9 ]" |! PCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
( o% N8 v& |: F W7 {/ t% C; O
1 C7 e4 }+ O$ I( H4 \$ F; _The draft budget does not come out until November.
3 H! B$ `2 t# d3 n
! E7 m& m0 X5 A7 W# y! W' h( Y"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.
# O% B$ k6 u8 _+ ~3 J4 | m# o( r0 s6 b# k. \+ n' L+ n
"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
' e/ {+ D, g& h/ Z
/ i0 b, W5 g" }1 D4 I5 jMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 3 L; h' A' X0 C9 W
, G, e5 e5 h" q* T: K; RHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 5 p$ y6 E4 }: l$ p
r; `' r' ^1 X: [& e& c4 D"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
) y/ K; G$ u1 n$ u& N
* L; D! w3 u( dScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. : @/ _) O$ `) z# \) y5 I
' h; X5 \5 v4 G& Z
He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city.
. a) G( w. g$ i! }, h7 c% v! c0 Q5 L& x# S9 o, _3 G5 B% G! ^
"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 5 D4 U+ V1 R/ ~" l7 ]1 ]0 _) q$ Y
/ k# o" Q/ m$ b* }* q9 X/ l
"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."
; f1 L" M( _; ^9 Z5 |9 [* g. p H( c U0 _
The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
5 @7 S1 z( Y* [ k/ n
b1 R" ^8 l$ x, q; e; w+ oThe 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.
3 p1 u8 n) d; f8 u+ W, t6 [* ?1 C& P+ v, |2 ]
Tax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
|
狗仔卡
发表于 2007-5-9 22:25
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
显身卡
发表于 2007-5-10 11:37
