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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike+ l# p8 h2 Y$ P# x5 ?2 Q: x
5 ^1 I4 e1 _) Q1 H6 j! {3 `Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ; l/ Q C/ y: Q. i4 u! y- Z7 ]
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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. % j; b2 K' S1 e$ b
/ }% V9 E: r; h8 V& i. B' WMandel 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. ( V" k/ m1 M' ~) d
( h5 n" ]9 A* B# Y"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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' x; Z2 c1 y, i) hCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
; m1 d4 v, j6 y: Z: N"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 $200 a year.
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+ |+ E! p- `: Z$ X4 ?, m7 y- T$ {"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. ; j6 m- r0 b9 K. h
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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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# f+ L2 }/ Z9 p/ W: f"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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; j+ V/ e. |4 |+ Z"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." # t1 P8 Q+ J2 u# f
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 1 J4 J6 I* q) w B3 K" }5 {
) h3 m+ n& J' q( D$ bHowever, 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.
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4 z" V! a$ M z% c% xHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 6 G+ K$ d6 V( {/ z5 g; q: ?; G4 ^5 V
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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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% u9 a7 G) r: u; d"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." - D4 {& ~( x7 Z+ l6 @
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 5 [. S; ?% m) p* k+ \
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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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8 G' k; ~$ G8 C+ n$ I/ r! u6 o; uTax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
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