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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.
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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. # z/ @! K8 u: Z) y3 u
' ?5 a J# p3 p: t6 Q. AMandel 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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* T/ `8 b0 |5 g0 h- N2 Z"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 2 l) q- U$ y# X( |& w
1 o( H0 g4 b) Z. ZCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates- X# Q, { R- ]2 ~0 _
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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: P* [; C/ _% pA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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1 o6 N% Z) s9 _"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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& v9 r4 ~8 o+ r# H# }4 @Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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7 y1 o4 m! ]" N. U6 d4 E# MThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. # e& U1 Q0 \7 z) v" P0 O# u
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 7 U3 J8 c7 a$ S" X4 p
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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.
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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. 4 B" P+ `+ s9 x2 }1 U8 I
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 0 [( t' V$ ^2 j- o" r, j# T
/ g4 b4 I: h: W- ]+ D& bHe 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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& J- Y0 A; y7 j' |* f6 Y- L. q"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. " u6 u! t$ _' k; N* E1 V
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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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9 D# p7 r3 j& AThe 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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2 B ~$ F' Z, D: c0 |7 ?% e* ~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
