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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. / ?6 O' [9 a5 O' V1 b# `1 g6 k/ r
$ \, Z0 V- C: n4 B$ P3 [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. ; l; c" S1 I- k2 u- t
2 u& S; S2 V0 H1 ]/ sMandel 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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ; ^0 p/ Y) { }) I
- ?6 `1 r Q6 v4 Q$ ?0 S" GCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
; i( G# k+ F/ p4 l( ]"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 5 V1 ?7 C: d. n9 [/ d( w
% x6 X8 o& O8 h) BA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. 5 G# p" i+ R% ^1 Y
# U# r& [8 ]. P& r/ o) Y"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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7 X6 g @$ Z' `' PCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. 6 [0 V4 K- S+ Q
" t, R, Z2 E3 v/ ^0 T7 d1 BThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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V: I0 ~2 k4 v% k) d"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. ; k. f% i; {4 @9 L7 g
* {0 n$ N9 L- @3 a+ {2 u"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Z5 L, s' ~' _$ v s! i% DMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ' X: E# ], l G, [! G9 E
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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.
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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. 0 n* x0 b* _) B" [9 m
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. . f1 {2 z$ O* h% i% \
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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.
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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 2 c1 a+ U; f s7 |
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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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7 E Q% i6 ^# h$ Q- mThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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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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1 R s3 ~3 z1 E, _: H3 N4 `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
