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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. , x, c# [+ m: P
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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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6 g4 i; v! e" b- |2 X( CMandel 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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, e) [$ A% O$ P"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ! t, x# U% h) W) v
! t# `+ l' r+ S6 W; `City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates* i8 D2 x0 @5 A4 @* w0 g# o
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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6 j" H8 t5 V/ j5 M7 g: Q$ h. X# ~A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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& ?" ^! V2 n1 ~# A; X% z"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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. ^7 {( y2 ^, l# v% S& N) {) ]Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. e. b4 u8 ~6 Q; l: l
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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# r( u* _7 Y7 E: l8 M% {"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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' }: w/ Q ]3 P7 x/ H2 `3 d& `' b"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." . M6 Q: w* j/ B3 D" w* m" |
- g' f- q, M8 l. IMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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9 H; `. v0 L, p# }+ W2 ]"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. ; D0 Y& ~& E% o* \4 ^% D
x9 A1 Y$ e& o' XScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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7 j/ j- T# u$ oHe 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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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 9 Z3 W: f$ k" Q" K
2 Z! Q5 I( x R+ L& r% j1 m: ^" y$ s"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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P5 C) u' B2 ]( }% UThe 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.
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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
