Property tax hike debate hits city hall

Calgary city councillorswillhead into November with one bigissue to tackle property taxes.

Debate on spending, taxes and user fees for city services will get underway atcity hallnext Mondayduring a closed-door meeting.

That's when councillors will gettheir first look at proposals for an operating budget and property tax rate for the next three-year cycle,2009-2011.

In April, council and city staff heard their current wish list would result in a tax increase of at least 14 per cent. At the time, council gave city managers until November to pare down the list and take another look at how to make service demands a reality.

Mayor Dave Bronconnierpledges to wield a very sharp budget knife to control the tax hike.

"Something that is in the single digits, not the double digits," he said.

Many requests willbe denied

Bronconniersaid several aldermen have made requests on behalf of neighbourhood groupsthat will be rejected.

"There will be many groups andI stress, many groups that will be disappointed when they see the budget numbers."

Rookie Ald. Joe Connelly says his tax-hike goal is about seven per cent. He says to get there, hewant to cancel or postponeany program aside fromemergency services, garbage collection and water.

"That includes transportation, that includes the west leg of the LRT, that includes bus service and that definitely includes where we're putting recreation centres and what we're doing with soccer fields and things like that," he said.

Council will vote on a final plan at aNov. 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.

And 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, that are expected topass easily at the special meeting.