EDMONTON – City council has approved a five-per-cent budget hike that will boost the average homeowner’s taxes by $94 in 2010.
Unlike last year, when four councillors voted against Edmonton’s fiscal plan, this budget was supported unanimously, mainly because it met the guidelines set for city administration last June.
“All in all, it’s Edmontonians who benefit from this budget,” Coun. Jane Batty said Tuesday.
“Times are difficult, not everybody has the type of money they would like to have. It provides the services they want at a price they can afford.”
The budget features a three-per-cent increase for city operations and two per cent for a fund to repair crumbling neighbourhoods.
Among the big increases is $10.8 million for police, coming from a rise in the franchise fee Atco pays the city and an expected drop in the municipal cost of electricity and natural gas next year.
This will allow the service to avoid cutting up to 200 positions. Police receive more tax money than any other program, and will be shown as a separate item on the tax bills sent out next spring.
Although councillors were happy they met their budget goal, Coun. Ben Henderson said he’s concerned efficiencies and tight spending could wind up hurting city programs.
“We’re kidding ourselves if we think this isn’t going to have an impact on services somewhere through the year. We may have created hardship we didn’t mean to create,” he said.
“There have been some pretty significant cuts to get us where we are.”
In addition to the tax hike, which will see the owner of the typical home assessed at $361,500 paying $1,525 in municipal taxes next year, homeowners also face an annual increase of about $68 in fees for sewer and garbage service.
Assessment notices showing the value of homes as of last July 1 will be mailed out during the first week of January.
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