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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike4 Q- v1 I3 `8 d, z$ |. T
8 X1 n( I y' LThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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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.
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8 |/ ?' @3 S& e9 j( Q: |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. E/ e/ {: y% t1 x
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"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 estimates( ~# k: [- I. H- x; \8 w5 K' Q" k- [
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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1 _6 s+ J1 J- O8 Z. h$ |A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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; K) j9 R/ F% [* U( Y6 V* m5 Z1 J"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. % v: i: h2 z) V0 q
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"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. . O, N! \( V/ n7 F
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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. % D: Z* r, W' N7 F
8 j6 u: ^& ^9 G- f% rHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. ) ] V: o4 u7 T @$ w) ?* R! Q
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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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' A7 a! {* `8 a"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. , T0 ?! g4 ?* T2 u0 M9 ~) X8 g, I
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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.
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' @1 c! S, ^5 g! |+ @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
