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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. 6 q8 H! Q$ k% u D5 m- I( ~+ t
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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. & b5 _) b/ I3 ?3 P7 s- w3 {4 X5 L
6 g4 Z$ g. E) k9 g* S# ^4 PMandel 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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3 @2 ], L8 i7 ]3 r0 y, wCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
, P, S5 `: f) ^- ?* s: O"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 0 D( j- H4 g5 i8 y( X& }3 e
1 S# M& H- k$ }- X0 {4 ~9 q0 _$ `A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. + Y2 T. l& g3 }# ?
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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% `' r) z" e; t* d% ^ F7 Y0 HCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. % W+ z) g* r4 |# z9 z2 u1 E$ M
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." $ r: L7 }7 T& S m0 h2 S4 E- T
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. & J; P; f, @' D+ C3 y$ Z
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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. ! A# j# B9 m+ o$ u- C( a4 e {* N$ I
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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. ; t7 n$ `' ?% H$ }$ G& G% a( |& H# o
" l8 m5 D$ C, e/ t, b4 ~Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 0 B9 J E# |% J& Y/ d$ R, N! ?/ P4 H
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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. . S8 O4 i( g' f: }8 ]! N
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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." 7 }; e& T; k; C8 `% a5 [
& V# r$ E. \3 t1 V. C; h7 U4 |* B$ z/ jThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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; Q2 z) e+ I. X( S; D$ \! ~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. 0 v T$ R9 \ g9 ?$ s6 R, I
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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
