Edmontonians lukewarm about tax increase, survey shows one-third OK with 1.8 per cent hike
A survey shows more than half of Edmontonians do not want to see a tax increase or would prefer a decrease.
A City of Edmonton online survey indicates 42 per cent of those surveyed want the city to continue a tax freeze next year, and 18 per cent say they would want a tax levy decrease. A third of respondents were in favour of a tax levy increase.
Conducted from Nov. 17 to 24, the city says 8,644 respondents took part in the survey to help guide councillors' budget deliberations.
City administration is proposing a 1.8 per cent increase on residential property taxes next year after a zero per cent increase in 2021.
If approved, the average household would pay around $714 more in property taxes in 2022 for each $100,000 of the assessed value of their home — roughly $14 more on every $100,000 of assessed value compared to 2021.
Nearly half of the people who participated in the online survey said their financial situation had worsened due to the pandemic, with only nine per cent believing it would improve in the near future.
According to the city, tolerance for a tax increase was lowest among commercial property owners and business owners or managers.
Of those who said they were in favour of a property tax increase, 22 per cent said a one to two per cent hike is acceptable. Three-quarters would like that increase to fund existing city-run programming and services.
Almost half of survey participants said they would reduce the amount of funding recreation centres, parks, and transit to offset the need for an increase or maintain a tax freeze.
Among respondents wanting a tax increase, three-quarters said they wanted the funds to be used for maintaining existing services and maintaining infrastructure.
Sixty-three per cent of respondents said they are employed, while 22 per cent are retired.
City council will continue budget deliberations throughout the month, with a final decision expected before Christmas.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.