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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike% b- b0 h6 j0 @+ ]
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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_5 \+ {: m2 Z. C" e6 R/ h8 H4 e! f3 L: MEdmontonians 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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% c H* g" ]( i8 Q8 w* AMandel 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. , H) b9 V2 h" n+ K
: A7 U1 I$ i/ Y" u# V; P"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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8 H1 C1 n7 a+ \. ^8 KCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
1 K5 {& X0 ~" Y$ Z4 Z"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. . W% ^2 [$ O7 k% }
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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- R; w, e9 ?& ?* u5 ?"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. & [5 G5 x1 f9 q; R2 k* M3 o
2 S7 n7 ^/ ?1 i0 m7 d" H! S5 l5 HCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. , v) V, j# X# L9 Z- _9 h
! P. C8 i" m! ZThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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1 z6 f. @8 a0 g; N, N+ q"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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$ f: E7 {! i0 t- z7 hMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 8 ^6 z9 G4 X1 l3 N* R! A
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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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6 Q+ q, J. c, S: X4 |$ F"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. 5 `0 ~+ t( a2 ]( x) p2 W/ S
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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. $ ?! n# B, S- D' i' C
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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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"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 C1 O6 |7 J, A9 }9 A3 M: |The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. * V. ?% @- H& K1 O p
. P& v" r( |( o' x( Z/ Q7 _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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3 m: X! p }6 O$ N3 P6 b5 X/ h+ f4 oTax 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
