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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike* g- Q3 I$ ^) K% P
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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0 W% n" S) b: @$ CEdmontonians 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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4 g3 h/ Z, N) _: G IMandel 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. H+ r7 q0 G9 p, c
% R; E& `, a; r' i"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. % z/ c5 c" O3 k; k" B: J5 |1 s+ H3 U
. b+ d& u9 o7 n8 Q, tCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
) {+ K5 }# l: o2 N"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. # x+ B) [+ r0 E/ E7 {; N+ G6 v
/ [. {* @/ I% b6 K# H- F1 TA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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: p( `* d9 M$ K* p% k% E+ ^& s2 sCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. # @% s$ m, m4 u( D, g( G {! x6 |3 H0 W
5 r; O ^1 x j: ^; i/ s% |The draft budget does not come out until November. 6 E- r2 w q5 A4 C# p/ \; y0 e9 D
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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.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ; T1 g2 j( t" }& N' q7 Q- x
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 5 D4 \7 w* u' B$ w" A
' Q3 S/ V; t# ~* I |5 ?3 RHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 9 Y5 x$ U+ q0 u7 d+ f
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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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6 A! W p8 r8 x& c8 c0 ~/ PScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 7 p. w. X9 g8 F% a D! T/ G
C1 H1 R7 W5 H+ {1 V2 U# l8 `He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. " F- F; X( D4 z$ r* W6 ~( h3 c
0 W- v- Q) Z" B4 @6 g1 v% p2 i"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." ' _- e. @& f! a; j9 w2 C4 r; ?+ z
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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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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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5 q; q$ E4 t% F3 wTax 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
