Property tax hike debate hits city hall

Calgary city councillors will head into November with one big issue to tackle – property taxes.

Debate on spending, taxes and user fees for city services will get underway at city hall next Monday during a closed-door meeting.

That's when councillors will get their 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 Bronconnier pledges 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 will be denied

Bronconnier said several aldermen have made requests on behalf of neighbourhood groups that will be rejected.

"There will be many groups – and I 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, he want to cancel or postpone any program aside from emergency 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 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.

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 to pass easily at the special meeting.