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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike8 M, W7 @5 m' A: ]- f6 i; ?8 j
: `/ T6 a4 {+ C: h/ L, p: ^Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. / }$ C. ? m& @+ H) U0 z: k
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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.
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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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4 q$ G* v! d! V"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. # @. E* F$ N+ Y' [
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
& A. D: a$ N& X( k"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. : |- D, J! D6 ]6 k5 q: i9 o
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. " c' g; ?- ]' C. }
H- d* b9 O) M' C1 TThe draft budget does not come out until November. . W3 I6 M& l- x0 t- F" @
- ^. g9 G- q% S8 m7 ]* A6 Y"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said.
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) z1 b r+ H2 h6 v"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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; h; h" y9 W" dMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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: B* @3 f/ i$ Y& R! C1 v( hHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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0 Y2 K3 j- U, \"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. 4 n& m( G* r$ p+ c3 e7 ^* |
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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.
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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. ! g- O0 p% h% P& n9 e7 m$ J q: s; H' C
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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." 1 @# k6 G: U- b% t) Z
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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- f- s! y) m0 }0 s; kThe 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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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
