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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike! Q0 e& u; n' u z7 ~
) p' X; _1 z1 }6 \0 FThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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5 r5 a! H( z1 I' \ D1 d( pEdmontonians 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. ( g# J) k1 a( U4 m+ K* f# S
4 t" ~2 @' X& R. S0 b8 F+ ["Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. 1 [1 \$ ^: Q' y! P: N- }
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City manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates
1 @9 A- G, I5 ?7 D( q"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said.
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" w+ v7 m0 ~4 c, n3 }A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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6 \# V! a8 b" @$ O0 n. c8 jCoun. 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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& n; |7 e% t- k, R$ ^& M, YThe draft budget does not come out until November. 3 ~. {: u6 t, Y
2 i* Q! {; u4 M, v7 F, B3 S+ W% L"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. 8 ?, s$ |0 f0 t- G
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"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.
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V" X2 l" z* y: z2 Y. OHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. , a( L) |* ?' \/ l$ m
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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. & Q. V4 h% g; l- q- ?
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 6 T L# E. G( @. \6 s3 e7 `
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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. + a- d# _0 ^9 J' ^" Z7 S
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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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"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." f3 Q, v! A$ e6 p& z+ v ^
7 ]/ u) u. q, a) l. e) F5 @The average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. ( E% x- [' O! D& I
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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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0 H' t4 s8 X d# TTax 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
