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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike$ N1 Y7 N% P/ h/ c
( t: D/ f S$ `/ G" z! O; {3 f' U oThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. - n" c8 y& |2 \, v/ p$ q- D' U
$ ?- k- K( y; T+ t& D8 @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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. v7 p; ?9 W8 C7 }% h7 y J* R5 aMandel 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. ' w( }4 K+ S; l2 D& ^8 B
% M7 p+ R. {' N* X& {6 r"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ; R* E1 ~# O0 p* C+ T
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates X3 O% f: O9 u( B. m2 @
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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, r6 U" \4 b* Y" y0 S3 T" r+ YA hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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- }5 s Q5 V/ QCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November.
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"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. ' w* k- b+ D, j. x
; J' a3 {9 h7 c: c* \9 Q"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." ; F! B& S( T, K* t% v9 ]( e# `
' }$ X Z, a' Y- rMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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5 X0 K' o& r: Q G2 Z- ]" L# xHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. * K, G0 q6 K* V8 |3 H5 ^* d
+ ^# O- N/ b" n K: ~" [$ n"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 1 N5 e/ m6 b6 p! P$ S9 {
8 {- f& M2 o0 Q1 i$ d$ ^3 }% Z2 IScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. / Z) r% l" {$ Y2 s
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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.
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7 q/ u; `/ \% b' s! D& b2 w1 z6 O$ Y"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." / S0 [& o" E4 _" ~
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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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- }0 b2 O7 d* z: z! R6 D9 LThe 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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, x) c7 H1 T, gTax 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
