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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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9 q/ g' p* C9 ]; y2 X K6 N5 X, gThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. & x0 R2 ?6 \6 r$ d, ^ X
: ]2 T% k, |5 h$ TEdmontonians 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. D4 c6 m- e) D# |4 c; f( ~
) B: Q3 C) v) T+ M7 bMandel 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. 1 e3 c3 |; h8 E
; z) b9 F1 k. I; x"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 estimates6 R4 k6 m( J1 d( H) L
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. G5 o g0 a4 H; h/ s( C, R9 g
$ S+ ?& ]4 {5 w' u' ~( _4 `"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.
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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. 9 L% W {& W8 y- a9 D- @, C
# w8 v2 t1 j5 n! y: vThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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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. 5 |( m6 G+ i* M
7 @% r0 K/ g1 x* k8 _$ f"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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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. : y# c* w0 C- H, C) x+ H
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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. ' b R& r, |$ x
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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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' v6 ]/ K) ^" D) u& _( WHe 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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8 Z9 p! `6 P9 N* |7 ?"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. . ~; Z+ W7 l% C( {, {- E" y' k
7 J7 n" i' K3 `9 p" w"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. 7 s3 \# l2 E+ p" B/ `
; a# Q- Y7 m( x c* ~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
