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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike! G; J- `: t \5 T6 T! F& r# J
6 y" f7 l! b/ E+ A0 Y; i' @3 UThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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7 G$ V: |! o) }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. " |- T1 S2 j9 t8 V1 w& ?# a/ O
) G$ `9 X6 s' ?* y2 `4 o9 _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. ) [! l [, ^5 e! r
& h2 p3 r5 n F8 k"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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4 ?* @# e8 r" N4 H, c) r% H" MCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
. Y" n, k0 N. ^) Z, c& s6 K3 A"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 $200 a year. ( n1 m4 r# c/ x
9 N4 C" {4 n# _( p/ k( P"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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' v n K5 e4 M& P4 ^: mCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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3 {& z+ ^( I5 N VThe draft budget does not come out until November. . F# b' v* h/ t$ j1 B2 i. Y1 A
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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. ( q. l0 T8 p1 }2 `6 }1 D
) {/ x7 |6 T0 d$ G7 W6 N7 G8 b2 Q$ B; K. K0 D"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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b$ n" w% }& u( j& bMaurer 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.
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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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# W, K% ` e+ `* KHe 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 N( @. y0 n" T& W) S+ _( e"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. ; A0 b/ S1 x2 z' \0 E$ j
' X9 B7 H: q a3 \. y0 g+ F"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." 0 J- g& [; F7 I( K9 n Q
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. . z) p5 b* o1 B- R; F/ J" P
8 b& y5 v T$ V. T! B* bThe 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. 5 t1 ]# M9 [+ F* B
$ V4 H! x7 C/ O) Q& \* iTax 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
