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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike {) f3 W, i% U3 r; I7 B& x, Q
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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5 M2 A8 {% U# Y2 aEdmontonians 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. , M7 j% N) z5 b t) P, {
5 P* Y) [$ x2 YMandel 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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. / N0 F4 q% |& g
3 Z7 y) R3 C! P1 a! cCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
# D* p7 z6 b2 W5 v0 k"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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+ T5 g+ t$ D; X5 cA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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; _4 l$ g& S% y; G, bCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. 5 n; [4 |! C! ]1 L1 Y6 w
0 h/ n$ H; g7 K& J' W' NThe draft budget does not come out until November. - L: K. A5 Q0 [+ r
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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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+ l6 A) C! R& e( T+ Q$ B"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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! t" D* b7 T1 D* m% R) ]6 Y3 oMaurer 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. 5 J% r. N1 ~5 J+ o/ @
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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. * k2 h9 @5 b+ w4 l/ R$ ?, Q0 v
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. ! K3 v! [: l: _+ B* `
/ ] K2 _6 X( Q, Y* j5 Y- w; v0 }' b0 {He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 5 z# ?' n9 b! U! u) s$ t0 n9 u
1 u' u% q8 N3 f5 h- a$ o4 _"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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! X" r$ S+ W* r"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." 6 q) _" z3 M" z
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. 8 i0 y. g7 \5 f& o3 F
: P T0 K: p2 a& _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. / W7 P; K6 h) k
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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
