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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike( D3 P8 b/ x+ G6 ^1 q
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. - i6 O/ H5 f7 H" r- o
7 }8 _2 x6 @2 l& e7 |' L1 E, AEdmontonians 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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- y6 e8 B& L, d4 `5 CMandel 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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$ m9 J' Z, k$ L+ t) S6 a) {"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 6 z) s9 ^; V }" T
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
x$ `% {! M5 m"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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7 ^# S2 f; Z1 ?/ S, lA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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5 r* ~3 r# s& @: Q8 {9 V"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. 5 l, l6 t9 V& f
+ o r( I! _' Y) S; i6 ^Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. 1 z5 H6 w' t% Z: U2 F8 X/ k
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." + e( ^2 u( p" B( Q0 C( J
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 8 g. E7 a- j6 {& v6 b" B$ H5 O( ]" {7 b
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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. C" E# x7 s2 D! U; H6 P6 P
- n$ ?7 K# _4 B$ dScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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3 ]7 Y7 J2 T4 R4 f$ F& C# f5 V6 UHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. & n1 ^ O% e3 T0 ~. d) a
% I* A4 S% w6 |: F"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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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 8 m- {8 i- l+ m( a$ ]1 W+ X) Q+ J6 D
* {" k, z1 N' c | ~8 FThe 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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; y0 S0 e$ K" u7 b6 _1 I5 ^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
