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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike2 K3 r$ r w& d, \
; q4 F! E. I. ]" j2 r: _Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. " ]4 x! Q: F6 x \6 e" t& @
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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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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. , \/ _* w- o3 D4 @ e6 |
0 E0 Z6 t: Z2 ?% [ k+ `City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
2 ^" |/ I. A& a9 y2 j. `" ?) 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 $200 a year. - {6 O( F a! C
" f0 _# l; w- r"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. : Q* O, e$ b8 D- Q# Z+ }) T, \- j
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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.
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. {& p/ x. ]7 Z( n# w5 A, LThe draft budget does not come out until November.
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$ l" q) n# W+ s# l7 q/ u"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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/ o3 Z0 [- }7 G- ["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. : u4 M/ I8 A# s2 `1 f& r4 p
* R4 V( f, z$ m1 d: O) P+ g1 ?. V; KHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. - D5 O& d9 E5 q ?7 a
( V$ i5 d( @- {"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. / F. K4 D M% s( S& ]
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. . K* P& l/ _4 D
, n8 {+ |, w g: P3 A) G" U! rHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. : g* v% X# Q3 L1 w
: J/ F- ]2 E& Z% A. U5 t"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. # |, C# R* A2 a1 r: S
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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." 7 U* U/ U( I+ n. q, Y8 B: L
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The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. . V4 h, {. Y% f/ }
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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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/ Y6 \8 U8 m3 A x i4 L9 E) I' uTax 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
