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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.
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" `8 u6 l3 C7 V1 @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. " U' o! n! r' q
4 _4 F- F$ N) 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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8 x9 V& j$ D# t' t4 ?, ["Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
I! r) Z7 F3 |& f v9 m"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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6 o9 g& K# y; N: fA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. # ~4 t# Z1 Y- t
i' g& X1 @8 i8 F: G9 M" N"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. - @7 Z7 r5 j* o& L' h. |4 z# ]
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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# @. ?- q* e- e% D"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. * W! f2 P5 C) J7 i: r
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. + a' L; o8 `) b* ~1 l: L: i
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"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 9 i c) n M8 m8 ]' s; |$ A0 _
$ n3 V6 d: A6 d6 C0 U& TScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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4 {/ K" s" M8 I* r( B \, ^6 HHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 6 A2 } I7 [+ S" X4 L; ~9 S' ?
% `9 n4 `9 ~& G! F$ m/ Y"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 0 @! {9 ]2 r! C5 h9 ~
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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." ) u( I8 h5 }7 _4 H6 Z1 s
* F6 b- B$ s7 Y, yThe 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. * A3 I; `' W% G( i1 N
+ r# j" B$ K' R/ c8 w' zTax 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
