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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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" H2 ^- I9 [& w4 ^+ G& w( Q0 HThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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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. # o0 f. N+ E; \, C3 M2 ~
. M7 E/ V* B9 p+ j& Y4 }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. ! @& n- w. r- Z# R
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. p5 L4 _. X2 M
0 P5 h9 g% }; l6 _City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates7 `, {. ]9 T8 A% E+ P
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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" ]) ^! \- `5 ~! D: i* @, R; lA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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( P" `" b8 f. p' ~2 v3 q* i8 N$ M. m"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.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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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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8 m# O9 T# B0 X* H+ j4 `" k"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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" t f% U4 M/ EMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ( v6 e N; Z4 a
, B# L& P, L- {However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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* ^/ c: V0 s5 Q( l"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 2 M4 A% m2 Y3 c1 Q/ j% Z! T
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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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3 z) J3 w! Z6 x" sHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. " V0 P" N* F- R! O4 h/ v
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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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! c, Y7 r! _: f; t5 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."
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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/ q S( ]/ e- @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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4 G3 N& R9 a3 G: \* {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
