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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike# T- n' u3 D+ l8 Y; b( a
1 |+ n2 b+ q u! @2 @- aThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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5 J1 k8 {4 @6 d) K4 ^2 N& X0 \6 V* LEdmontonians 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. # F' I7 M2 v! M% j( C {6 i. ^" \
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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. ) _+ G" k; m& h2 n, e
( b" \, u% }6 K# b/ E"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. : S! V2 z5 Y S4 ~
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates6 s. X( ~5 t3 J- W3 E8 s
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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! A; T" j1 H t) TA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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! l) D1 ~4 D0 m* q"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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1 t& D/ |! q3 b8 J9 C, fCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. : q8 ~; @3 i5 W
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. # Y' |/ X& R; z" p! D
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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: ^; u) _! g: p- h1 z1 y( ?Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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& `5 Y8 l3 ^5 q$ M1 \6 r9 vHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. 9 f+ g \6 ~: o/ e
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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.
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1 u5 v& A' K' @( v% {Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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$ X7 u- ~/ z$ fHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 2 X) {; |, r! O9 U
( C/ J6 D* g7 x7 v- f"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." ) H- ~/ T- }/ V0 E0 ]( P
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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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" y& A, ~( d) t4 E% k" \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.
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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
