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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike, w* C4 ?2 G# M9 f( Q+ S) _
; h: p# B/ y7 j% {9 C8 uThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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8 `% `- v s2 c% B: rEdmontonians 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. 2 |! Q% n& h$ m" b5 A7 Y) v- R$ _* t
5 g5 x- _4 p3 j5 E6 l/ H5 l" aMandel 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. & V0 Q$ }, G5 J6 ?% l. K+ M
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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v% e n/ V/ {8 Z% D" S7 ZCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
. G: q( y; ]1 i5 b: D/ r% ~"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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- }2 x F1 v. O7 jA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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( z9 V) B) p" v4 F5 D"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. # N$ h' g8 F. ^5 s! P L% t# f
# q$ o' s& N4 P7 V$ cCoun. 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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: } Y8 D& }' S& S' \) 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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"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.
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8 ~; k: E4 v7 a6 s% NHowever, 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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% U0 g+ \; G9 {! @9 U9 W7 KScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 1 t( Q- L& \% s# P _, M1 g6 D
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He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. ; u; a: Q- m: N( m
( y8 M: F& E K- E5 p# _"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." $ M: K% V7 L& K* o! s# ]
+ g' o( F K* s( `, m5 D3 `The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 3 \/ l$ P0 P2 w3 ?: D
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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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! h9 c% k3 C# WTax 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
