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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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' j7 n; C- j3 l0 x3 u# zThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 7 f( k/ M$ s' Z, _1 a
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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. 0 J, e2 Q J. A. v P7 Z
, n# j1 S. a$ T/ G% vMandel 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.
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4 @9 [& S+ k# O/ S/ N. n: G"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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: b/ i" ^& C1 d$ U1 GCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates5 R0 W s5 f. z
"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 $200 a year.
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( k9 W, |+ D Q r8 q# B"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. 0 e5 A3 N. q! V# W* w# @
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." % {* l1 ]. ~& f
4 w# \% p2 ~! V3 H& l) w8 wMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. / {3 j, x* o/ [7 T/ e' D$ N. a/ P
; A. ]( ]( u7 I; q" P$ i+ u"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. # ~9 K+ @5 q$ v
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. s$ f9 ^; q. [ b6 F: S
6 ~1 L1 ^. S% W! dHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 1 k( `/ e& U, T; a4 Z4 t
# z# v$ Y. v" X( t"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 8 l# u9 c$ @4 B" d. O. ^, p) x
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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." 8 @8 N2 p5 A2 _! U; _
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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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8 ~* m& P: ^! Y9 Z0 {+ S( _# j8 XThe 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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9 i1 Y1 t% I# d. U1 }+ R8 q; C8 ` oTax 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
