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Mayor warns of 'scary' tax hike) E: f$ v2 t" ]& o+ h
0 Y+ T8 y! X! _' G/ _Think your property taxes are high now? You ain't seen nothing yet. 2 I R% h C$ r* P% ?: C
/ x/ ]- b) ?6 K7 R# D+ W9 i. _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. $ t$ F& Q3 k# M6 c9 \
5 b, m3 p, G! q0 C- {" V' Y' o U3 ?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. # L5 R0 u. T, v! l. M0 O. F! u3 t
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"Looking at this we're talking an 8-10% tax increase," Mandel said in council chambers. ) y: O" h: ~: }6 ?/ y" u
: \& [# O C- k3 N4 O" ZCity manager Al Maurer confirmed that Mandel's prediction was on the money, based on initial cost estimates0 K: r2 k7 U- H! r+ d( K
"Given the amount of it, it's going to be scary," the mayor said. & q: ?3 t) h* R9 R/ ^: B
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A hike in that range could cost the average homeowner up to $200 a year. " z! U% o) u0 y' D9 V1 E( q
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"There's no question costs are going up," said Coun. Michael Phair, who conceded the tax hike "may very well" be in the range predicted by Mandel. & K$ g+ o4 {& L0 Y
% O9 |) X# W" _; I# D# F: \; GCoun. 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.
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. n3 p6 E0 R b9 {4 u) f+ M"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.
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"It won't be as bad as some people are making it out."
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+ D8 r$ x, z' o9 a Z' @6 R' dMaurer said income from investments and various financial strategies could offset a large hike.
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' c- H' F7 a; V& z% q/ RHowever, he said there aren't really any city programs that could be cut in order to save a few bucks. ( C7 `& R/ z& a5 D3 e0 y
) @7 U: \4 p1 A7 F"We've certainly got more demands," Maurer said, noting council still has to find money to fund an improved snow-clearing program. 0 l5 ?$ B5 G* q+ F
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Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said there's no excuse for a double-digit tax increase. 0 C, n5 ] V6 M( X0 k
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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. ) {$ I5 p3 ]- ^+ J. U& r
& }2 T! W4 w3 e$ ^% f"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."
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& S' e3 ]0 d% F# M5 G' YThe average property tax bill in Edmonton will go up 4.95% this year, the city has said.
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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. ; [( v# {" ^/ V
( P/ m+ `. g! ETax 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
