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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike& z! k3 d( i! z- {' Q
; u1 @6 ?8 M$ G9 _% HThink your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 1 G5 n' }* A( M8 g' y z
9 u- W3 c9 @3 d* wEdmontonians 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. 7 R/ G. |+ N6 O- w0 L% F5 ?; Q
! q' Y) @8 Y" o0 K2 O$ gCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates, h$ Y9 F4 c3 U5 P# [* @/ K
"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 $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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; |5 f' B' B- b, t4 g5 @; t8 j/ |Coun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point.
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The draft budget does not come out until November. ' T( U3 s" \* v c# A+ m( ~
5 Q0 w+ W6 S- X, D( Y"I'm not looking for a major increase next year, at least not too much more than we've already approved for this year," Hayter said. & W% t8 C$ z8 ~3 V5 @& ?
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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3 i x* B5 f+ Y1 J2 a8 f: c* lMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 7 m1 t' }2 O; d/ s' \9 X" X. s
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However, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. . J0 f6 D( d0 M4 b! U
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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. : ]7 I( U6 [8 w v
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase.
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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. 9 p: @# k3 a; e( O8 i! j
% \! R5 T7 Z( i5 F# K5 s4 m8 n"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. / w X/ j; L$ Y
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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." * ^; X; p; h% G& f
) E" Y# n& U6 @: K1 g! D' Z2 a: c/ _* aThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said. $ g, _. [% H* |8 J
% h& Y/ |0 W& [5 UThe 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. 6 `0 P* w4 p0 \6 C5 K
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Tax 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
