Municipal tax increase will depend largely on police spending

City council has only a few days left to eliminate spending in the budget and save property owners from a major tax increase.

If council approves the budget as is, taxpayers will pay 5.7 per cent more in taxes next year.

However, council still has to debate spending $13 million to hire more police officers – and their decision will have a major impact on the final increase.

The proposed tax increase was set at 5.3 per cent before budget deliberations began. Since then, council has approved hundred of millions of dollars to go towards new infrastructure, services and programs across the city.

With few budget amendments left to debate, Coun. Bryan Anderson said he wants to limit spending from here on to keep the increase low.

“I’d like to get under five,” he said.

Finals decisions will be made by Friday

On Tuesday, council agreed to invest in late night bus service, new staff for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, the ITU World Triathlon, and Nuit Blanche, among other projects.

Even so, Coun. Andrew Knack said he is confident the resulting tax increase will not be excessive.

“We need to be below that six per cent mark. I think we’ve heard that loud and clear from most people, and I think we’ll be able to do that by the end of this,” he said.

Knack said council has already started moving funds around to make more one-time cash available this year.

Budget debates will continue Wednesday afternoon, and council has until the end of Friday to approve the capital and operating budgets.