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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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3 ^( A) e$ t* A# vEdmontonians 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. - f- k% h+ q0 }8 F1 C# D. r
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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: c+ E; g) _0 t# SCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
) [6 p7 f2 H9 q"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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4 \, A; W, z& o, H. HA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"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. $ g; I1 r) W" }3 q
6 J$ K6 T# H% z. `Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. # f/ ]/ A/ R% E y: t9 a; I! E7 H" j
X+ |3 v: r* P" J2 uThe draft budget does not come out until November. 6 Y+ y9 l& X: y
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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.
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! Q7 E4 P% G2 ~7 x8 A"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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# ~4 C' r4 t# w) [8 G5 B# [$ C/ ZHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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"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.
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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. 3 g3 h; h& \2 y, H4 O0 ?% ^
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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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5 t6 U0 ?, Q6 ["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." ' ?2 t2 L/ h0 e4 Z3 q6 m0 Q
# V" j0 i& J2 }, h GThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 8 C( ?& W& `7 r, l2 G- Z
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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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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
