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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. - u4 C5 d) ?) c5 L1 z4 V, R
7 H i6 |8 y+ [% s! x, MEdmontonians 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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% X# ]& P7 i1 O, Q6 VMandel 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. / q* T: t- c+ y7 B/ E" a
* U K5 T+ u4 ~, {. j: p"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 estimates8 e* m3 O9 v7 f9 M1 P6 o f9 o2 H5 v
"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 $200 a year. # O$ Z2 i( p9 c7 ~
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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. ! r3 h) T; Z2 [2 B9 ]" Y. L2 b b
1 `9 {0 q$ f2 K5 Z/ vCoun. 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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"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. , ~* A8 |; e' e
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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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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 8 m( F7 ~0 O: g1 A/ }- D; n% N
7 J: E1 O9 w7 P. q5 H4 Z7 I" }"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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( l( C5 h% q+ h$ X( D) HHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. & `/ J! B8 S6 z! C$ n
# l/ }# m- j, \2 M$ j: ~1 w"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." 0 M- ]( g2 W) z' r% _) s% g/ l
& h# x# S4 V7 d4 dThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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, y! E7 ~5 w( T+ {6 ] G! s0 t9 T% dThe 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. ; e. f/ E1 H; k' o& ~8 x* K3 Y; c
. |" ]! D+ d. C* D) r6 Q" DTax 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
