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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike- }- U9 T' k5 i9 m5 c
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 6 k: I9 W9 D7 Q% I! X0 y
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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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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. / C" \. m- {& G8 X* E8 F
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"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 estimates; ]! I+ ?9 B+ @; G0 ^
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 1 }9 T' _6 R$ @1 O+ R
5 s7 c l2 V# k! S3 K/ o5 PA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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3 @/ ~5 K( A- @ T- {# L8 N"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. ' u) C' N5 w, z
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. ' }; w9 T3 B$ E) H- x
/ z, p. {5 F) p' k% jThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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4 o$ m2 b: C' r: ^1 ^" E/ g" {"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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5 ^% C1 j% d5 X& Y4 A$ ^"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." 9 O" B2 A: F8 K% U1 g8 k
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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U( f5 ^- k) }3 jHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. , `+ l% O: C: F$ e5 I0 S
9 l& b9 m- K/ A1 A W. S3 ~& ^5 W"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. - H& a9 L. Y0 Q. \
! ?/ B* Z D% d' D6 e6 z% M* vScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 0 Y( b% s! C: C+ r( S( L
' w9 y6 B5 U5 S" oHe 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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" T0 M+ u' _* p, {) |% ~"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 5 H" o. _6 W- A, r" f7 C
" p Z6 x/ E! M$ i5 x"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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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 6 s" \% o& U8 F8 C6 y
0 R7 s0 Y: V% W7 M0 a& P# S& rThe 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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, j0 d# ~& `$ kTax 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
