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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike6 }7 T( W3 [9 l( z
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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. 5 q; q8 \! z! j, K
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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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3 ]' X" N, a3 V5 O# A( d"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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5 G# Z6 q4 W! ^2 bCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
* N( Y1 Y" W' f5 M! y% h"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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% n6 V& x. @: l# t& D' `, v0 N J9 @A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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$ w' J5 Y* s5 U( b n# w"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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1 E% X h- V p0 J6 [, DThe draft budget does not come out until November. $ Y: C* V" R" [. D
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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 H0 c& F+ P6 j% Y" O; n
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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; @0 l) U$ R9 d* gMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 2 S7 w3 r1 {" y% C, C
! k7 M& H# ~ _5 |0 K5 ?5 YHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. ' \' ~7 G! J' [# f
5 r9 h+ W- I( E q# L8 u/ Q"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. ( y( s% A! o/ V) B; P' ~
, v- Z! {* J- m) @/ YHe 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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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. & z) B: i* m$ D0 {
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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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! G& v& L# d4 uThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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" }. }9 }$ c* W4 UThe 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
