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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike T/ y# z1 S: v+ m
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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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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" ]: d4 \+ }8 Y! G" TMandel 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. 8 D: F+ _; F2 z( b3 W) ?( ^
4 A) z) Z3 H) h* w: p% Z"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 7 Q; U9 _, j+ H, R% w
, a" {9 z9 K/ u$ N7 p$ F) KCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates9 x, [$ m: v/ l% G5 H; Z; k- {
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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5 k% M( ^9 F1 DA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. - Y- X& `% @- k' R
" i5 `6 x/ x* C; @Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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8 z! i- U* q% S( l4 x" O) j"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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0 S- c$ Y6 y. G" f5 |0 N$ FMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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0 ~" t% e6 j2 [) VHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 4 v* v% u b5 h, o `& t2 \
# l+ _) `0 z$ @) s- E5 r. o4 _- x"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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+ c+ B! K9 W8 R4 Z9 ~7 ?Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. : H/ ~! H5 u) y; z. {
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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.
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"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."
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. & B8 F4 S* A3 {' Y
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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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, J. P. I1 D: w6 H* f0 {6 C7 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
