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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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/ Y, n4 j% z: K' pEdmontonians 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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6 j! }. r# h8 y, k! `" X8 A: m+ O. v/ 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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates: `4 P4 }# l6 }0 \9 M! 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 $200 a year. % \, ?# y( q/ D+ n9 |
+ J, Z4 h. Y5 x. `0 P9 ?"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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1 m6 k- W; v( w5 w& nCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. : R& h' T# Z8 C7 o9 k, a* y# l
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The draft budget does not come out until November. 8 _: Y# Z/ a7 i; ?" x
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. 9 Y% v; S! X* _6 ?* Q- L
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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/ F' }( u. O4 \1 v5 K- o0 u; RMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ' h, h8 q- l. u" V5 r" _0 q1 E
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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5 T5 O7 |2 N, F, _' U"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. - |& @ K; }; Z# X1 _( L
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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8 _- F) n* |# W, U3 m! L7 e: lHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. ; ~& @8 [$ C: |9 q2 D) o) j/ ]
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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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. B& t0 j/ J) r+ Z: d8 GThe 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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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
