City admin says tax increase needed for growing population

Edmontons rapidly growing population is one of the reasonsthe city is eyeing a 5.3 per cent tax increase in 2015.

City administrators released details of Edmontons proposed 2015 operating and capital budgets on Friday.

If approved by council, the budget would add $9.17 a month, or $182 a year, to the typical Edmonton home, for a total of $2,184.

The proposed 2013 Operating Budget allows us to expand services to a population that has grown by 60,000 people in the last two years, Lorna Rosen, Edmontons Chief Financial Officer, wrote in a release.

Just over 15 per cent of the the $2.3 billion operating budget would go towards police services, with 14.5 per cent to be spent on transit.

Parks and community services would be the third largest expense.

The budget also calls on Edmonton to spent more than $4 billion on capital expenses over the next three years.

Small fraction of infrastructure projects to be funded

The city has identified 190 possible infrastructure projects, of which council will likely decide to fund about 15.

More projects could be funded if the city took on more debt, but Rosen said that administrators recommend against doing so, because it would end up costing more in the long run.

If they do talk about that, we will be letting them know OK, in the future years, this is the tax increase associated with that debt, she said.

Council will hold a public hearing on the budget Nov 24. Councillors will then begin deliberations, where they will finalize the budget, on Nov. 26.