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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike% X+ e- s7 B9 \9 x
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. - D5 u8 E$ C w' V* T
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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. 7 C$ g l3 E% p3 u' O
! |4 }% Q. U7 B7 {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.
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: }( y, |3 W) O8 h0 M"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ( q/ [& H, O) M" z
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
2 n9 Q' C0 f8 Z3 \9 U"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. , |! j) i9 x, B- Q0 [9 s- G
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. - y8 T/ C% l; I2 ^ M8 r. R4 }4 ?6 \
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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. ! T: Z6 V, A: c2 \/ `
7 _3 ~; V" ^6 i4 s- H4 s" v9 D8 UCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. , j1 o1 d1 H2 t
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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0 \( Z9 x d# J5 g* _( o' }$ g2 w"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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& X$ S! R+ h. P& U/ d"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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8 r8 Z7 M8 C5 _2 K: R. s/ I* WMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. . y) V3 S- H4 N
& q5 z9 \# q( h* g. }" wHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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# g R# v o. W+ y& W! i( K+ ?"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. 3 _! t' k& y- y/ `$ U4 q# T
7 V3 U6 H; B8 t+ QHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. % L7 Z( ?3 f8 I
. f' t, [7 n5 Y"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." 4 h9 T, @$ W$ \3 @' P
1 J3 Q0 `3 U+ @9 I3 xThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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+ N+ t0 T. |" r5 t2 n B6 {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
