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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike: ^$ _* r/ u; _* O
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Think 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.
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! ]4 Y) E7 A" L: 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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. # t( b4 y8 G/ X% X. h
1 |$ v7 ]) j) j2 E$ a- p* d. NCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
G- T) F0 G/ H* @4 v* ^"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. . N; z9 Y8 u: f+ U9 U! g
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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2 y# {2 ]9 X i% W# ^% Z"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. 5 m6 \1 t, P% m* d8 c/ m# f7 [
( ^: ?! E& X1 t0 X- z) GCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. . D7 H G/ G8 L. Y T% t' k, {- G) Z4 P
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The draft budget does not come out until November. & ^0 `1 ~" r- W! N" s
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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+ {2 w( T" z! |% C/ H. O& H3 v"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. A) G8 [8 w5 W8 q# C) o
# o6 V& z! N9 T+ B* ?& eHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 7 g# u# O/ t2 s. S6 ^6 t# @. f
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"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 7 F0 @- g+ a, T# D8 z' g9 f
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. + ^ Y8 D0 M$ c* l; ]# E
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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. * |/ i. n3 ^3 w' ?
( c. U* K, x9 i) J* r- k6 |! O"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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; S* E3 Q' H) k, e( q& ]& f: v# \"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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3 Z3 x# w. {+ _% ^" q3 o5 s0 iThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ( p' ?5 R$ N0 C; w- A% Y' u
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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. $ @: T+ z( P* Y8 ?" B/ V
7 n. v9 C1 E# ?. }- ETax 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
