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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike, ]2 x7 V; ]( H$ A
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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2 \% w) x/ E( X6 q6 ?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. ; G# Z( r( Q* P6 |1 c: \ Q3 t
1 |- w$ t! Z+ T! @3 T% j3 ?7 ?8 zMandel 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. : }) g2 e% g: o! u, y1 O3 r% S
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. + n8 S4 z7 N2 Q* j8 | b+ e
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
8 {4 G4 q3 p6 V ~"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 9 {$ \ _! p T" F, T) \# b
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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9 {4 h4 ~( d; G1 Y"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. ; N% q u+ T# W5 ~" P2 m/ T) ?; U
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. ' a8 ?- b# O# H
8 Y. X: g9 x8 F" l) @* E$ h"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. % F8 z: f; n( D+ r! ]
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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: l! @3 r* j; R2 b: e" vMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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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. 6 r% _. U0 p0 A0 j
4 P4 H( E8 T S"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 4 N8 i( h/ ?- }* i8 }+ z
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. : T- |2 o& n; _; h7 N
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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.
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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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7 H' z$ y3 ^( p' r4 R. w' a% c"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." 6 e. g9 M6 d0 V
! M. g/ R7 D4 |The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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2 q. z/ s! W b4 t- \- T, pThe 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
