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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike& L& g3 g( C# L) a! I- [
8 p3 \0 t: ?/ V5 kThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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! g0 v# ], f* U D: E: |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. 9 R) Y) ?: v3 G' |8 H) J$ N
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Mandel 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.
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! k3 A; u3 a$ c( q1 j2 J0 sCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
" ~2 S" M7 a8 {" t: c- g, q"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 $200 a year. - h. v" n4 d. F3 J" u# k4 A: n
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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. l2 c, G2 Z! T' _1 s3 K$ i7 @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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/ R! ~% m" T5 j3 j7 ^% V$ HThe 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. 2 l& V) d2 F1 w0 O
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." _( I% s8 m1 B( f6 Z8 w; B3 D
6 I9 y7 [4 k7 ?" T- v: IMaurer 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. & H! Y. M: @; i* T/ L% s
3 H% Y2 w6 t8 ? T"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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: D/ S! d% H6 {5 g, S/ iScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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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. 6 n$ r2 H, S0 ~
+ i" n Q7 }+ j"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
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6 h1 `% d4 q0 n- |% K"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."
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. $ F! t* G- C% M1 E, k1 @, s
* }: `5 \6 J* eThe 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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* C) S( b% R( z& A. JTax 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
