 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike$ x' F! M- g- ^+ I
4 v/ p @& t* b
Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. + n0 I2 r* W0 @; {. p5 U. X# ~
7 } o& ?; V/ d! \. o3 L) p6 mEdmontonians 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.
0 o" w: Z9 y/ P3 J" L+ j$ r2 |2 Z
' _/ x0 V1 o; J! B6 oMandel 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. : V6 _' G7 j/ ]
& K/ D; y2 n U1 ?2 s( `"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. * c6 v) L% I* P! T
5 `. P, r: d3 H. \- BCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates0 q# {2 D9 E/ t! O. \5 o
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
" M0 m1 F" a& Q; U: S A8 M2 R+ n' S5 z$ O; S
A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
/ e$ ~7 I! W/ K4 \& g# s! K9 {
% b! P. t) Q$ o' }) L6 z& t6 \"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.
* J/ v: r. R4 r1 W$ _) ?) _
8 a t9 c" V# d2 J* d% uCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
- y7 \ ~3 V6 e4 B3 \
" {1 d! M6 p/ ~The draft budget does not come out until November. - d L1 M, U A3 [ u. F7 f2 O5 D
6 v. }/ @# R" Z2 B' z"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. * W/ B: j4 P0 c4 r" I# V! r7 E
+ E2 N5 ]- \0 m% g
"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." : t' @7 O& ~" g' T" K; }& W
" T- c8 k% N) q( A' K: \, b
Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ( @/ C0 ~' h+ Y F6 j& |
6 m6 d( N; l/ @/ s. z, L$ CHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
9 L8 a! f/ w/ L3 t( |* j: D; {( {
1 e) y7 v0 @& `5 H1 V"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
, {5 t- l9 l# V' U7 a% s \6 M0 W" f: K8 M" U( i
Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 1 B! e4 L. }2 p
3 ^3 ~) C( D, T% d( T$ yHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 5 x* ?/ R& f& n8 }% ~7 g
: E* T, c8 B8 \4 r5 ~( w$ U; M! j! ~"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 3 P6 }' E! }2 G4 H: n' d
4 x. R3 M) l( J"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." - `+ d* U6 Z! o6 |0 m+ D9 M* b1 p* W
6 x4 u9 @; Z2 O2 W) c+ y- Q7 ?The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ) c# S4 v2 m& I( K( N' O
6 }' [$ D7 l. T$ c! c# k2 b/ y* S8 d' U. f
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.
0 i& t+ g9 t+ O i
& ?8 b4 x1 L8 WTax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
|
狗仔卡
发表于 2007-5-9 22:25
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
显身卡
发表于 2007-5-10 11:37
