 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike& d+ N z& j- X. M* h
8 W5 ]3 k8 J* |( I. c, JThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. ( B& h- f5 \) F* A, R
( T& {7 T0 H( _) r" x' V. 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.
# Y6 L. E0 [: s5 {
! f( ]( o; ?& M, Y+ I9 A; N3 w( BMandel 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.
& V1 ~* W9 L" o: {. S6 _+ n: z$ `1 q# Z% T6 M0 O. Q/ t
"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
* M, {0 E$ E1 ^* |. r' W& u @8 o; P3 \
City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
/ u4 @- w) m+ K' z"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. : y& h+ |# `, k
% P G( E$ d' F# f% G+ S
A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
8 b2 x0 \1 I, \6 D3 S
, K2 f/ |; s5 u& |- r, w' Y4 o"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. - N, F' }5 b' o. P
$ L: I1 v/ i% X; SCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. - z& i6 O2 o; f. D/ ?
6 b- F0 C; d bThe draft budget does not come out until November.
# @; ^( `0 x7 d. I9 o7 m7 d( s* O
7 q' k( v! x; r* W! x/ i"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.
9 U3 v2 \; U3 L
8 G9 `1 M" I, ]: j% C. g: D9 f0 u"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." $ U; z' F5 O2 K8 x6 u& M
' F# z9 j+ z0 c* r+ c. ~Maurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
3 h2 Q/ |0 T) v2 A: k
, D: z$ `* U; H1 P8 v" FHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
' O0 C* O- ^3 ~+ A. s4 Z4 K# u' ?! I
# R; w3 m6 w( L$ L5 P0 M( m$ _"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. * l* c- x0 Y( s2 u; X( C1 B
" x# x# I1 d( Y7 N0 AScott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
7 r1 J i" D( m. I/ w, I, {+ R) d$ Z9 H/ S$ Q. v4 N c: ?+ A4 D
He said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. 3 Z. r/ Y( ^2 _; U! ]6 M2 ]
8 s' X% \- _- M- ~0 E
"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. $ H/ O. h3 p( z- S
" {7 R7 i' |1 z3 V m- C9 x
"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."
3 l* B1 ~4 a7 B8 G. f( b3 z. l; H: P$ K* h5 q; N/ o* z4 }* [! G
The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
4 \/ M H- L$ E, M: K" C2 T, d) f0 R9 S' D
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.
# v% O4 I E* \8 w2 W$ ]" H
* v1 |/ }0 [9 RTax bills will be mailed May 25 and payments are due June 30. |
|
狗仔卡
发表于 2007-5-9 22:25
提升卡
置顶卡
沉默卡
喧嚣卡
变色卡
显身卡
发表于 2007-5-10 11:37
