Calgary property taxes could rise by about 23 per cent

Calgary homeowners may seeaproperty tax increase of more than 23.3 per cent over the next three years.

City of Calgary staffunveiled a proposed three-year operating budget Thursdayworth $7.9 billion nearly $1.5 billion more than was spent in the last three years with the largest expendituresonpolice,emergency services,and transportation.

The extra spending is blamed onthe city's recent unprecedented growth.

"Protective services is a priority for this community," said Mayor Dave Bronconnier. "It costs money for those services, it costs money to protect the environment, and it costs money to run the transit system."

To cover the bills,propertytaxes would have torise 9.6 per cent in 2009, 6.8 per cent in 2010 and 6.9 per cent in 2011.

For the averagehome valued at $430,000, that would mean paying an extra $99in 2009, $78 on top of that in the second year and an additional $84 in the third year.

The extra costs include:

• An extra 242 police officers, 130 firefighters, 55 paramedics, 309-1-1 operators, and 15 bylaw officers.
• Another 290,000 hours of transit service, 30 peace officers to address safety on transit.
• Increased funding to maintain roads.
• Funding to maintain 400 new hectares of parkland in the city.

Anadditional $4 billion is earmarked for infrastructure.

Ald. Gord Lowe, who wasthe mainauthor of the document, saidthe budgetis as trim as itcan be. Lowe said he hasn't heard from Calgarians who want their fire, police or emergency medical services cut back.

But Ald.Ric McIver said he'll be going over the numbers carefully with reductions in mind.

"I'm not sure the citizens agree that he has done well enough yet," said McIver. "I work for the citizens and I'm going to have to try to do better for them."

Garbage fees on agenda for meeting

Council will vote on a final budget at a Nov. 21 meeting.

Some budget money has already been spent. In September, city council fast-tracked a plan to spend $25 million to hire 201 more police officers over the next three years.

Homeowners won't just be paying more in property taxes.

Earlier this month, a committee also approved new garbage pickup fees, along with higher sewer and water fees, whichare expected to pass easily at the Nov. 21 meeting.

Factor in those and other user-fee increases, and the total impact onthe average homeowner's monthly budget would be $24 in the first year,$16.50 more in the second andan additional $14.50 in the third.