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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike8 ~# Y# \# k$ w* D# B8 t+ k0 [
& U: _/ |5 m: M7 {; T2 VThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 3 m4 V" Z" _3 {% P( n8 T: N
6 W r! o. M F) t% }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. . e9 o0 A4 s/ P- e1 q
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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. , M4 x" ?* ?) R+ S; D
}+ Z- b- {: T7 @3 [& d"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 8 X" p7 ?3 E- j7 j2 i
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates' o2 b' Z7 C9 Z7 N( c, R0 H
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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2 U( h8 p K4 x- X4 U& bA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. ) e) @- k- C3 ]
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. 7 }$ W( }+ R& n
- r t+ E8 `! jCoun. 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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! G# g( L( Q; K9 B. K7 AThe draft budget does not come out until November. : C4 z) J3 j0 J) u
6 G0 v3 O V2 A" n/ v6 ]# u"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. - S5 n7 u1 x8 }! ?; |
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." 6 `! {- }7 Y7 v+ O1 p
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ; d+ R; Z J D
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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.
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% l7 ^! W4 X+ ^"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. ' U; ~$ O1 u/ k% s3 r
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. + E( ?5 p9 E4 I) f8 U1 O0 @) C
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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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"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.
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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. : l8 @* y! {% Q+ ~. Y1 g5 p
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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
