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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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& X1 }9 C) q0 Z4 V. t2 P& Y! \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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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.
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/ @0 o3 r! S- u6 R! O"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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* m5 c# n: u& j" E; B6 XCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
/ x" D0 P2 g! m! K- C"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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9 T, C: P: P( J$ V! mCoun. 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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, i4 p* `7 a/ E! W* @The draft budget does not come out until November.
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/ Y8 B5 `1 M' G& G2 T! [2 h"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. ( u4 Y: U2 o# `
( Q0 f) F7 P! X" t w: n {"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ; c3 ~! q8 u" W2 P% r" ~- J! `
7 @9 B% x9 Y; Q7 zMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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. I; x2 ?) W6 _2 bHowever, 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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, M2 A; }; ]/ l3 M. Q0 aScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. . v2 L r3 ^9 U* y
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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. / v- K- r* G% R
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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." ! e! l" J2 U1 X+ i, ~* g
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. $ d' u1 V9 Q% C6 Y. p
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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. , j: ]6 k! [; p8 O5 x7 M4 v( O
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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
