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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike4 N( r/ C# c8 A U0 j5 D6 K9 b! f2 R' r
5 l8 ^. e( ~% y) GThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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3 A: t* A2 J9 L2 H1 l( 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. / q: U9 G4 U( O$ o
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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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
6 D& h5 X e- x: }5 Y4 ^0 F+ M3 w"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 $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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' r3 C, M! c2 r. p) v$ `3 |$ p; eCoun. 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 S: y+ I q9 E2 L
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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. 7 k9 h0 O: W9 _ t; S& x
9 e+ p6 F9 @5 U) z"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ; S! Y' }: `: R- K8 T9 C
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. . f5 D7 E' O( t6 g- C% B
" Q3 p( f4 D8 o1 Q9 F$ \However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. , q$ q: `4 e5 B
; F" A! y( C& N3 t' _"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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He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 2 S: m4 e: f6 X n, M( Y" m( a% r
2 } d b; B& t! Y' T5 ["They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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0 K, e% |5 M5 {* B, s# \"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." - j# x3 @ V9 ^
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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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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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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
