 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike9 T& L# I% F9 ~% T( R @" o% K5 T
4 Z6 h" C& `; m+ l% [8 x- ~9 _Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. & W; g) S# @/ V' ~5 |
6 I4 o0 {1 H4 U: v9 T3 BEdmontonians 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. , q5 {, | a; @" q+ O8 s- h- P! G
$ E1 m% T6 I7 a( J6 `8 _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.
+ h" N6 ]8 I5 |. I% h5 c3 H0 e1 e0 P3 h/ Q* b
"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 9 h9 B( U9 E5 i# k) ]
1 z7 k3 ~# \ u( s. S; L
City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
! O5 B8 i4 c+ k"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. ( G) e9 B% ?+ q5 T1 o4 X8 u% q/ B2 g
! S. G8 g4 P9 ]8 W" s5 N
A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
1 V' I+ _- ?) G' h5 Y4 h
: R. `# A \' Y+ `/ x) d# A( b"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
" W- g& P! {5 \7 L" `6 R0 Y) k2 |! g& p) \- q
Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
# V+ ~9 T& m1 O- T3 v2 n9 K: [8 o; P2 P' ~: \5 O) y/ V
The draft budget does not come out until November.
* G9 Z+ P/ W) l! c1 q& P
0 P: I8 P# e9 I"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. # h' x) R/ B! X' @* K: C; d2 y
1 L# p1 i4 Q! o. v* |+ v
"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." % y/ g4 D- e9 k) j
4 O4 ~% w& W% A) M: g, p
Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 5 H A0 b( w% Y( A' r9 v
/ d* M5 k0 A/ P$ w3 HHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. # h& k8 ]3 ]- M% V
! t8 l* O. D- y9 g"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
2 X0 b* I K* u9 D# i( Q- r, U8 x* o& V4 K$ h$ A0 D# v2 X
Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
1 ~' l2 w- @9 M+ ?, ^4 _5 n: X2 T: v3 T6 g& Z$ p
He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city.
+ `& U5 D% ~4 h2 g' C2 j8 ?7 f: `4 n @- l& l5 n2 ?7 t8 X
"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
T. ?* r% |$ j' t5 m
6 e4 m3 {6 J7 N A7 B' k0 n3 C, p"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."
# y6 S- O9 K3 u4 T4 Z2 K+ {
8 `3 u& ^% `9 \0 U# EThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 7 e$ ]+ x. T$ j; i7 O! P
' }- t; G9 }* C1 w
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.
* r# U. Y3 s4 h
; G( u& {$ Q' ?5 Z& c( yTax 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
