Tax hikes too high, says Art Puddister, breaking ranks with St. John's city council
Fellow councillor accuses Puddister of fear mongering
One St. John's city councillor has said he will not be able to support the city's budget when it's placed before council next week.
- St. John's homeowners get property assessments
- Property value increases justified, assessment agency says
Coun. Art Puddister said he believes that proposed property tax hikes are unnecessarily high.
Puddister said the most recent assessments of both residential and commercial properties have led to property value increases of 15 to 16 percent, on average, with values increasing even more in some cases.
The taxation rate, or mill rate, is expected to decline as part of the budget, but it will not be enough to avoid a noticeable increase on residents' tax bills, according to Puddister.
"The mill rates have been agreed to on Nov. 23. They're, in my view, unnecessary and excessive, so I won't be supporting what's going to go forward," he said.
Puddister said the city needs to pay for its increased spending, and he would support a modest increase of five to six percent on taxes, but the increase is likely going to be higher than that.
Accusations from council
Mayor Dennis O'Keefe and Coun. Jonathan Galgay have accused Puddister of breaking city confidentiality and creating undue fear.
"Puddister's comments have instilled fear amongst the residents of the city," said Galgay in a statement to CBC News. "Full budget facts [will] be released next Monday."
However, Puddister denies causing any undue fear.
"First of all, I'm not fear mongering. I'm basically telling people the truth, what to expect," Puddister said.
"In regards to breaking confidentiality, I'm certainly not doing that either … I'm perfectly within my right to discuss the issues of the budget and I haven't discussed any specifics."
Puddister said if people are unhappy with their property assessment, they can appeal or reach out to himself or another councillor.