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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. 8 m8 G/ h9 D( z3 n, P3 n
; d: }; A5 |2 T# b0 v/ W. n5 H+ O( fEdmontonians 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. , C9 I' ]6 g; C
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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. 0 a. Q( l+ ~5 V$ X+ t
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. % U F8 @# H! }5 O& A. _3 y
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
9 ]1 w0 ~0 X, c( O$ \0 e# k"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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F6 s4 c. j" j1 t ]9 wA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. - ?* V' O( H4 o" j
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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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: e1 Y. D. M0 A, n. KCoun. 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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+ d, T9 }! K* MThe draft budget does not come out until November. 6 M% y9 Z2 n5 `) w/ n
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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.
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* J" M" h' y4 T, u& l"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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8 s4 q3 I, F4 A3 VMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. / z' j) W9 P% W* ~ E3 G
; C, V. H6 e6 e3 Y3 UHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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, e* e7 ?7 v/ j8 g' C"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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' N" E8 C' ]" { ?! v5 [( v7 SHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. - i8 Q6 [5 M- r+ t
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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." " U/ a; H1 @ I y$ U
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 0 c8 f, ]0 j: I- z
- g9 K, L/ J8 C2 XThe 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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/ t& N9 [1 ^" x: ]3 eTax 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
