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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike) D0 C7 s% D2 C! X
& L3 _' \7 V) q! H) _4 m+ c! FThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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: T7 N6 P+ o! L$ X# K n' R0 kEdmontonians 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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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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8 }! f5 ?# i. P# J6 X5 \! ~: n- F"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 estimates7 v% I* a6 ?: ^" R
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 6 d# J7 O% H5 p2 O" H7 K! V$ Z1 o
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. . \ ]; j& \6 J
. p" t3 w' ^2 f) W: Y"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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2 c: |& \6 e. g# ~& a8 p8 sThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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& s& m# r$ o3 P5 l4 v& c"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. 3 O& `& q! {' s) G% F
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." / [* K7 U# b' |8 Z. C' E& | J
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. # b. v& h9 b& x' t( i
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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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: E4 {& F+ U/ j4 D"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. ) o: X% P- B, E% |6 i. k& G1 o
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 4 B% Y2 d5 F4 n3 F
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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. + w1 b Q! v4 E3 L2 {6 R0 I
' a0 A' P9 [% B; r" @" \4 c: D2 X( u( E"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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: U) P1 }: l+ [0 H: M3 [( b/ _The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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2 p6 D* ?) B1 i4 V6 [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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/ X* H E7 Z6 ]3 x0 H. vTax 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
