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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike' p2 f. Q6 z1 C |2 `
, `5 K3 Q- J4 Q/ I* O$ t" FThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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% |8 c( p m9 d0 O! L2 I) YEdmontonians 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.
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c8 B! a; I" ?"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. * _. X4 Q8 Z: F
. E/ P& d/ {; E9 C! F( L" t) L9 XCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates5 Q9 V0 u# N: w) o; \1 F% n4 z" j
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. 8 s% s4 Q+ A2 A2 C
1 ], i: ]: g5 I"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. * Q/ o* O! x( T& n' l/ t. f$ L2 n
& P9 }" _" _' a5 @5 |The draft budget does not come out until November. 4 x0 d! T* X& M6 `
& g7 F$ O- [. M- y: ?4 ]+ c6 S"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. 3 A( b) E6 k b# n1 F D
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." # _: J. m: V0 l$ _: _" a7 u
& G* T0 F4 j- T, gMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. / y9 {" G5 a4 W# R" D. O
0 M C0 z0 Y8 @However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 5 t, `9 `( _- B; `; m8 ?6 @. 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.
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. ' Q" [7 f- R h2 |$ {' l) N: U
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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. + C. Y1 k9 u2 P \' X
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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."
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$ _( W- b9 z5 k' z% w" S& u( d5 _, aThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. $ v( w0 @7 q1 S/ n0 T, j- P
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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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) ]0 f. H$ C+ {0 |6 kTax 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
