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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike' n+ p: ]' S; r9 U2 F! F4 Q$ j6 t" ~3 v
; F9 f- ]/ m0 C+ t2 [( eThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. / J* T b# b* n& {, P# G4 k* c
0 {0 e+ K: q2 NEdmontonians 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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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. ( v) @* ?5 o' g; N2 Z: y/ O4 I
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. |6 p) c( A9 H4 r4 h/ e
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates/ n7 F: L% T P9 \+ Q
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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, m5 U/ h2 X$ C; @$ }/ |A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. 3 | O9 ]+ @! [* `2 ~5 z: k4 D2 ?' S
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. ! R8 z. U1 l9 b' c7 }6 B
9 j" q& s% M1 O. ?: R2 k, iCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. . V* M% l; ?# J1 Y
6 |2 `/ o, Q ~"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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( C* k; E/ |# T. ~$ }% Z"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.
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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.
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. ( q; k' u0 I e! y, z
6 L" U+ _5 }3 O: o' oHe 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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$ I& A5 p5 n0 s; N"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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# k, G! n, }/ {"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." 7 p9 A& [& s. a! X9 a5 ?# f0 _: n( L
. u% U2 l9 {6 m, F, y7 h SThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 4 C$ ?" {' h. y; P+ f6 ]& V; y; c
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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. - M L) I/ u- n' \( e
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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
