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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike( N6 S/ J- ]" S% L& I2 W8 J! |
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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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9 `% S& Y8 X9 z" g. A" ]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. $ R/ y0 E% l9 J+ X$ L
- w% c( M) b$ @$ f; k! E"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ( {2 R4 U) g7 ]. ?6 T3 |( J9 m- z
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
% \2 y6 x' m4 [/ n2 e0 z"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 0 ~6 p1 C) G- t8 Z7 M# M9 T
6 \" {5 s' [3 x( b m* O! zA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. ' R1 P" n; f' t% T
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. / W6 ~3 q( C% n' ?
0 l K$ V* y, ^; b t1 u4 P; f/ DCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. 7 X {; L& U9 a7 Y+ T5 j
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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. + [. w7 u, r' e
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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2 f& l6 k+ X, e. c6 I: \6 h4 KMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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) e9 G; L2 g; J* A( ]% w. JHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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( f/ i7 S1 l8 X z+ t2 t"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. 9 Q; {7 o0 c# K; ^
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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* c2 B2 f e1 {% N* C% U6 C" x
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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. + y- |7 h7 h: p- Y
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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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* \ ]$ U9 P. `( j4 M d+ n, [" M0 DThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 8 M/ _7 f0 U s) |' j9 J
6 J( r4 s |( s4 i' {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. % i/ L& o. ?# y$ g* F
) w( S7 B1 Y6 t! b$ XTax 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
