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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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: T, n9 E' t+ l' SThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ; k0 }5 M' L6 u5 A$ g
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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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) C- J2 [) u* [" B! I FMandel 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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: ?" R: ^# {4 _) t) s. w/ f+ o7 ?"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 1 m. g" [% I6 x: l, N; b! Y) C9 n
& M7 _/ _: G3 q, T5 r( j3 pCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
$ i" h5 ~4 B# J; `6 @: P; \: @"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 2 w- ~1 G4 |3 i' K+ G6 v' V
9 x+ E y, c F0 bA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. % f$ y/ H r6 p
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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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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. 1 l5 W1 m" h- l* `) U. t* t( A( s
0 J4 q1 m% O4 Y% ?- }" P" DThe draft budget does not come out until November. x2 b0 K7 A) W& P4 ~4 ~ s
V% `# \, Z& G# T# ?3 K$ i$ ^"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. ) m$ b+ x& \# m7 K; q' ?
2 ]1 a5 T d5 s) G1 ?"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." * u+ K7 k6 v) G! t: G$ [5 Z% X, m. G! u
7 p( |) `- P) W, FMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 2 ?1 z+ \, c1 r% S) I5 ?
) x: K( g) T7 QHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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- o, u" Y6 ]6 H) @. M" V3 K0 \"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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& ?$ p4 I# a9 H' ^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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3 n% c+ R0 ?: T7 R. \/ V5 ["They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 6 s3 ?8 P; z- ^% l% v$ z
. v0 S# n" K/ O7 ?"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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! O' q% |$ K" o$ r3 u; cThe 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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$ _+ e/ k9 Q4 g% }, j3 U- X: LTax 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
