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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike4 z0 T2 b' L6 s" h: R5 j. D5 X; B# _
7 O! ] g9 w3 |5 ^3 TThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 5 I- s0 S0 T9 B" W2 c; R
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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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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. & S6 n5 K* `" s2 J+ I- U8 f
& G% G2 b2 h) x% ~3 z7 ~"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 7 t: P/ O6 o0 V& V
w: N6 t; P% |6 k) ]City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates4 l/ A. _& v* z- N. L8 m( y% r
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 1 D" h# f7 J5 S% M" e. Y
, x+ l8 Q) Z9 _. kA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. . h; p" P% w1 M& e% l. o7 |
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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6 y; C! P! g% Y# ^% lThe draft budget does not come out until November. + p7 l6 f$ G8 h( |
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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. : ?& |: [" ?" X6 K5 S
/ Z. f; d* f; _9 s"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." 0 E* t5 k1 s# t7 {
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 7 o1 s1 a1 C* z) i4 u. J; Z& u
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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. # R( n& _3 g0 h, @: [* m
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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.
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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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( A7 X: z, D9 D# |3 E# v/ f! @He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. ) J1 H6 R' \1 W- ~$ r
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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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8 g9 x9 o+ Q" D+ J4 k8 O"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." ' O! r! R, s4 {7 P+ \
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ( P- P9 B, o; Z
- b% v( F( L% d4 {* F& ^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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6 l& _0 d% [& R4 BTax 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
