 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike7 ]8 \& y" p( @* G
{% Y4 S) R1 `- sThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
4 U. m& w( w" M, M6 j5 @- O
; a* V5 R3 g n+ q8 a- f, NEdmontonians 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.
$ h* h4 L {5 v4 d* E' E% _
2 U, W- O8 g {! v, k. _5 cMandel 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. 7 ^8 j4 E0 o3 }9 t4 x
- g' [! N0 i/ x- B- s( v1 t9 q' k
"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers.
, w9 K) a9 t5 a
' o- o% p3 o5 W1 LCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates- [0 O& t+ \8 l( @( A, t
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 6 B* z8 P' v, c0 R4 K6 _1 {) K: L; c
% N K0 ]5 S: s+ r; n/ N6 N
A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. - k5 X0 D5 [# A
. g+ r. B$ ?2 b3 x/ o4 S
"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. 1 X# r% h* ^/ P2 v$ M7 S9 R
- ]& m: } x2 T0 H. ICoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
* ]& ?/ Y/ L) {# L( `: F$ q1 ^9 B/ d4 W m7 y9 T# h
The draft budget does not come out until November. ) Z7 [. @0 [: p( `6 t8 P3 D
^% n- R9 L/ N* G. F# 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.
5 p3 v; |6 o2 }8 |2 b8 n+ [. ?. k. R7 H. f( _8 S5 g
"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out." 3 E- H5 m0 h2 B3 T% i
/ ]2 t, l/ E' ?) F* @$ C( LMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. ' S) `* k4 o! e
4 C! A& n4 ^5 zHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
+ z a l; u% H' G5 |2 X' P: p9 C6 t7 @! H" i# @8 b
"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program.
+ A( _6 p3 |2 L; @8 {, N8 t( H5 z
Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
6 |% a& e, s5 h5 f
4 B' v* a& K- b; |5 j/ ?* v; d4 G# SHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city. ' l* `! ?( G/ X$ ~7 `2 z
; a6 u0 _: c) n0 N& q. j6 ~"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said.
J! d2 `5 j! y
M+ d# d3 ^3 z9 r"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."
" j7 [+ d( @; z% u" P- a/ R* z" o T; T; X5 [
The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ( y" q0 t3 m% ^2 z1 t6 x( b
8 S; t7 E, w* B7 D/ @6 _* r
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. 8 y& r3 E X' ~5 i
6 `3 O4 ~% y1 v+ ~
Tax 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
