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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike5 D# D3 i# {. g
$ n6 _) b6 u! }1 E( QThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ) F( D5 ]$ k% L. d: O/ {( a
( A% o7 g B6 o" l9 Z' M4 `/ DEdmontonians 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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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. [/ s$ h, `. W7 ^$ H
9 @4 v! l- l4 j- E, x"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ' T3 X3 C7 T$ ^2 N
o) T7 Q) M8 K: B; yCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
" Y9 ?' Q5 N2 U+ Y' K& e"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 $200 a year. 7 P( q% Q# n2 h) _
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. 7 }2 M/ r& J* z8 y
# N/ p! y* n- l: OCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. ) O! H8 N e: \: {& j3 \8 g* B
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ! _7 G% M" t- O1 @
/ P1 q) ~/ _4 `( zMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. . D$ K8 `+ w9 \+ H% p5 L/ h- b) T
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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. * `9 w$ ?- `6 Z8 a0 v' y
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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. & ^7 b0 o" v' `' s4 W
9 ^ y: x/ j* p( X/ I, s4 mHe 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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/ t8 @1 H2 [/ _"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. % } @+ f) p/ b$ j: e" a
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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." " g) w* p: q# y8 X g$ a
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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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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. $ x: V, K! O* i3 x: a( J! r
: p) y! z3 M# K* ?7 ^- FTax 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
