 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
) _9 ?" ]5 h2 K5 m6 q: l) o1 w5 b
3 ^# o/ @. c' d' H( GThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ! \. B+ L) Y# e
" @1 W3 i, T: lEdmontonians 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.
( n7 {9 W/ w0 o9 u k c8 R/ ^ D7 Y
. F [6 y! T. x1 L2 _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. / O2 M, J' h1 V8 w
( J4 L' T5 G2 Y- u' j% @"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ! ^1 l. C+ m( m5 V) E. f8 q% B$ J
& |6 V9 ^" D- q1 b- z5 K. `4 b' u
City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates h: Y8 W: ~& e7 t- X) L
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
9 j- X' W0 X, a# u' F7 z0 V& r! B+ N. I/ J
A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
7 z8 P' R; u1 U5 g
+ T0 ?6 r, C8 g8 p* e o"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. # I& g; S4 h, t
- v ?0 s1 X. D$ g+ h ?* ~" OCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
) f; ~7 R( b8 J$ F7 m$ _) u
6 ^6 r- Z4 ]: M+ [The draft budget does not come out until November.
8 s0 F3 w6 U* I& X2 f. J ^' W0 B( a. u' ?$ X; d; r
"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.
. @, N. t: ~% r/ H9 i, m3 {* A; x. _% m1 _9 X8 Z
"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
8 z; O( y, K E% I8 }# M+ m3 s* z, v2 B0 u* _5 }
Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. : s7 d6 c% T/ a; Z: {
4 D: `9 ^ T+ F
However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
0 M" q: ~6 A: B2 u/ s4 O
" z- H4 T' c5 v& z"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
3 R2 j7 g8 D( h' r+ S: y" }, x
- m- t* u( X h3 \Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. # }$ O4 s# o& _: L8 {2 ~
0 W- X5 a9 Y. Z; B, h/ w
He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 7 \- r r5 y* [- J! N' a
5 n6 v6 Q+ V L6 m( e
"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 3 y3 g3 ^5 J, ?7 m' q+ i
7 A1 L$ t2 C+ b
"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."
. Y8 h& B1 @3 [* N" ^0 _8 a9 ]; l# @! Y7 p4 H
The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
7 v7 t% D/ d* M; @" `) |/ G" t- Z* D8 h ?% p
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. 7 @- _5 }+ R4 ^6 p; E
7 z! y9 ?( U3 ^* z5 ?1 H# g( OTax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
|
狗仔卡
发表于 2007-5-9 22:25
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
显身卡
发表于 2007-5-10 11:37
