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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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* k: ]' W$ m& D3 w$ [; g# K0 lThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 9 t2 a! e! L' X3 P( N# d
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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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% `0 ?6 W- F0 ?- x6 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.
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/ t6 r3 j) @* ]"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: {, |% P2 }+ Y* N3 k
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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) E5 Q' Y( v9 p* }9 Y4 dA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. 2 V! q7 _1 k+ j# }) Y- x
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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$ ^( n5 b5 \' x6 _% pThe draft budget does not come out until November. * l7 o# {1 T& }# s0 ~9 n) p
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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. . U$ H. V, m" {' N0 ?6 R
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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6 c6 U. L4 Z8 z8 v) F* Q! ]Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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3 }" J) U5 t" f8 T/ N9 b" h6 w' PHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. P; w9 A' Q ^
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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. , M. E- U& x: D# i
: m# R+ T2 ~- p& ^& M' d! n+ EScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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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.
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/ q0 ?1 R+ U+ z5 E6 O! S"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. ! v4 E1 ~4 d8 k L$ ]6 W
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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." 2 t0 a2 @' U, Y% { t, `* {
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The 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
