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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. x; j7 z: t$ m# |! v
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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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" I3 Z6 F7 o, R( kMandel 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. % p/ }' l* g* v) P5 t
{4 b3 o7 t; H& M"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. & ]! _+ i7 B$ [; S8 E4 C- _
. \9 c7 i3 S2 `" K p0 GCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates" p2 m6 V& |' d( n
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 4 v8 g w+ u2 D+ \, l" I9 y F/ L
N4 G" p' x0 W8 t- qA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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; l3 V/ {1 F! Y8 W* l7 l5 bCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. + N1 d' {* _* M+ R, ~! Q2 U. o" R6 i
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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3 I6 c3 I) e, l+ `& O% a3 m"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." 9 N3 A5 T" Y. @/ y. L: A7 P
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. , m0 W8 y* i8 s9 @5 c$ @
/ B) F5 y& N5 k R* u( \However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 3 O1 A" Y$ ~4 y& @7 l9 F* X6 H6 v
0 c8 j5 f ~: }+ | o6 f"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. 8 }8 p$ R# }2 F* a) j- r
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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. / r* E1 z0 h3 W2 {; Y. V
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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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; X- H- \3 c8 I4 b9 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." % V, R1 V" M- }% d
& T# a I- Z" z; D/ B2 kThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 9 J$ V7 Y- \) N' x: X: b2 k r! {
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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
