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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. % Y3 _+ j* b$ }$ `
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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. # w4 E) }8 Q y! X6 m
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Mandel 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.
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates+ [: s# I9 j: I
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 1 y) M1 P& C4 v% t# {
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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2 G8 P! L. Y; h% ["There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. ) Y& y3 Z# G+ k; O* K: q
+ m1 A }6 O" d p: d& [- |Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. 7 H& X P. }, g
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. ! A1 T/ n9 ]- E/ I5 U' m
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. : b: A( {: Q" h8 z% M5 i
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. ; N6 f0 a$ [# m) U
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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. ]1 { R5 o- a4 X
5 U& T( V# o1 \- i% `Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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$ x# R/ l" J$ ^: {He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city.
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/ h1 ]- ] Z) F( r, `. j"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. + H" V8 H5 C; J
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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."
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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* d5 Z& }# y/ s+ s, FThe 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
