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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike. u @( C/ Y8 U. \! A0 c
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Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet.
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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. ! d# [- P; r+ K/ C% k* G
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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. 5 X, O" }6 J. b1 ]7 {( L9 R
- ]( y" v7 V# xCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates2 D' l3 v# R: b+ B% x% J3 J# X
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. 6 }1 X7 p: y8 o4 v% p4 ]. W- D0 ^9 c
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year.
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel.
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3 T' b3 `4 j+ t8 S! t/ pCoun. Ron Hayter said it's still very early in the process, and he cautioned against getting overly anxious at this point. - X6 M$ B8 a( d& Z
% w. L- U4 U }+ p% iThe draft budget does not come out until November. . t) r, M3 U; @; a- L4 _
" B M5 s2 @1 _; T; @" 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. / l5 B! u" Z$ u
6 P/ R3 B: a: o* z1 e"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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/ O8 E9 g8 u0 N, V+ [" g& yMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike. 9 @9 y% B# J3 s' L6 w7 z
7 x n2 W0 [) F# Z, f1 W: v( UHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks.
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/ {( F! i! s% g* s7 i"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 4 C0 D5 |' X& c2 s3 o% F
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. / v; F+ }" Z9 l2 X" W. Z- d
1 z& ]* L- x: B EHe said hikes should be limited to inflation, which is pegged at 5% both this year and next, according to the city.
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"They're going to hear from a lot of angry taxpayers if they're looking at 10%," Hennig said. 3 s, S8 R; R, l4 i0 n! ?& L6 y
4 Y& L: n% F# f- O9 n2 ]"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." 5 X' }3 L9 A! q9 i# m
- R( Q3 I! l& M- @# C7 h$ aThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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3 c; k" r- u: `* e( A) [2 w% xThe 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 k, N1 f; K) H
! x$ ]4 \7 ?" M. s' r) bTax 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
