| TrevorK |
Mayor Mandel Favgours Home Sale Tax
Apr, 18 2007 - 4:40 AM
EDMONTON/630CHED - Mayor Stephen Mandel says a proposed land transfer tax, that would see the seller of a real estate transaction pay one per cent of the sale price, can be worth up to fifty million dollars for the city. Mandel is defending this new tax, telling 630 ched news, the money is badly needed. It's expected the province will give municipalities 'enabling legislation' to levy the new tax. Word could come as early as tomorrow in the provincial budget.
What do you guys think of this?
Myself, I'm on the fence. I agree that we, as homeowners, need to start contributing a bit more because it's obvious that the city can't manage the money we give them (And let's be honest, never will) and needs more. For the average person this will only affect them once or twice in their lifetime.
On the other hand, knowing it'll get squandered and wasted makes me feel against it.
In the end, I think it's a good idea to have. 1% isn't enough to harm the average individual, and I don't think it's enough to cause investor's concern. In the end, by increasing revenue it should provide some benefit (watered down through all the red tape of course) to us.
Even though I believe this, I know this sort of policy would make Mandel even more unpopular. And that's the last thing he needs before election time... |
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| Stainless |
How much more can we as citizens be expected to pay?
Here is a fresh, new article showing how much it costs to live in this country already.
From the article:
"The average Canadian family earned $63,001 in 2006 and paid taxes equalling $28,311, almost 45 per cent of its income, while spending 35.6 per cent of its income on food, clothing and housing."
We make well over the average, without the girlfriends income, and yet it seems difficult to save as much as we want.
If I saw tangible returns as a citizen on my taxes paid, I wouldn't mind, but I still have to dodge potholes.
Instead of the city looking to tax me more, I'd rather see them forcing the Provincial and Federal governments to return some of my taxes to the place that I live. |
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| Cyanide Ride |
We give money for what? nothing. When does it stop and what else will happen if they use and abuse the money gained from from the land transfer tax?.
Fuck him, I never voted for Mandel. |
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| flatboy |
| It's another god dam fuckin cash grab! |
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| Invalid Zero |
quote:
Originally posted by flatboy
It's another god dam fuckin cash grab!
Bingo!
I am embarased to call myself an Edmontonian because of the condition of our city.
And they want to spend 88mil on a bullshit art gallery? Go get fucked Mandel. |
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| DeathBy240 |
This is just ONE of the many taxes Mandel supports. He also has publicly supported taxes on amusement, tourism, vehicle registration as well as expanded development levies.
Mandel is doing everything he can to make up for the years of terrible planning by the city.
Strathcona County has brought in a ton of industry (when Edmonton wasn't welcoming it) and they don't have any tax problems now. You can debate whether selling out to industry was the thing to do, but Strathcona is rolling in tax money compared to Edmonton.
So what are Mandel and Edmonton doing now? Opening a heavy industry area just north of Sherwood Park. Trying to get the surrounding municipalities who have a large industrial base (Sturgeon, Ft. Sask., Strathcona) to start revenue sharing. Causing troubles for those municipalities who don't want to share their revenue (it's a long story) and of course thinking of other ways to bring in tax revenue.
So it could be good for city residents but some of his methods have been pretty questionable. |
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| Wolfdio |
| Yet another hurdle that will keep me from buying a new house any time soon. |
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| 94turbocoupe |
it doesnt affect you if you are buying the house unless the seller ups the price accordingly....
Steve |
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| crazyrx7 |
Why don't they force the big industries to pay all of their taxes instead of just letting them pay the interest on them (companies like Shell, Suncor, Syncrude....). If we took that money I would almost be certain that the taxes would go down for the average individual.
On a side note I think that they should tax trailer park owners 10% (thats what Mandel owns) just for shits and giggles.
R.K. |
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| Zed |
| You're all greedy bastards, a 1% tax when your homes gone up 50% or more in the last year or so, I'm sure anyone who's selling will still be doing fine. Maybe the city will use it for something we need, like affordable housing or road repair. It's unfair to bitch that the government doesn't do anything and then complain when they want to raise taxes to do the things you need. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by Stainless
Instead of the city looking to tax me more, I'd rather see them forcing the Provincial and Federal governments to return some of my taxes to the place that I live.
I thought that the fed's were starting (And the province has before, and pledged to continue) to return money. Wasn't our LRT expansion partially funded by the gasoline taxes from the fed's? |
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| jberger |
quote:
Originally posted by Zed
You're all greedy bastards, a 1% tax when your homes gone up 50% or more in the last year or so, I'm sure anyone who's selling will still be doing fine. Maybe the city will use it for something we need, like affordable housing or road repair. It's unfair to bitch that the government doesn't do anything and then complain when they want to raise taxes to do the things you need.
dont forget 7%, 3%,3%, realtor fees, now that 1% means something, you might as well give your profit to some else, tax tax tax thats all canadas about , i work my beg off up north jsut to pay more taxes |
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| Zed |
quote:
Originally posted by jberger
dont forget 7%, 3%,3%, realtor fees, now that 1% means something, you might as well give your profit to some else, tax tax tax thats all canadas about , i work my beg off up north jsut to pay more taxes
Ever heard of comfree? |
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| Cyanide Ride |
quote:
Originally posted by Zed
You're all greedy bastards, a 1% tax when your homes gone up 50% or more in the last year or so, I'm sure anyone who's selling will still be doing fine. Maybe the city will use it for something we need, like affordable housing or road repair. It's unfair to bitch that the government doesn't do anything and then complain when they want to raise taxes to do the things you need.
Remember when gas going over a dollar per liter was a big deal? now noone gives it a second thought.
That's how they introduce things to everyone, start small, then when noone's looking, BAM!, shovel in the back of the head.
Won't see that coming either right?.
Then again, we're not all as rich as you seem to be. |
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| Zed |
quote:
Originally posted by Cyanide Ride
Remember when gas going over a dollar per liter was a big deal? now noone gives it a second thought.
That's how they introduce things to everyone, start small, then when noone's looking, BAM!, shovel in the back of the head.
Won't see that coming either right?.
Then again, we're not all as rich as you seem to be.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I can pretty much guarantee I am the poorest guy on the site actually, right now to my name I literallyhave 3 dollars in the bank and no cash, as well as a credit card that's well over its limit.
The gas prices didn't go over a buck because of taxes, the rising price of oil did that, be thankful you don't live in Europe, they dream of dollar a litre gasoline.
The municipal level of government gets the scraps from the federal and provincial funding, this will be a substantial revenue for them. I have no problem with taxing people who will most likely be making well into the tens of thousands of dollars anyways when they sell their house 1% of that sale. |
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| Eclipser |
Getting taxed that extra one percent? Add more onto the sale price so it evens out. Thats what I think will be happening most likely.
Goin to winnipeg (old commercial) |
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| Inzane |
quote:
Originally posted by Zed
You're all greedy bastards, a 1% tax when your homes gone up 50% or more in the last year or so, I'm sure anyone who's selling will still be doing fine.
1% of ~$400k is $4000. Anyone who's selling in this market is likely buying right back into this inflated market. When you're buying (that next house), you're no different than anyone else... you're scrambling to find every last dollar to throw onto the downpayment to lessen the new mortgage burden.
I agree with Andy. Fuck him. |
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| 98 teg |
yup mandel can go fuck himself, Did they not have a buget surplus for 2006. Then they raised proporty tax again. I am glad that living out in the park I pay more for proporty tax but at least they grade my steet and take a way the snow.
But as it was stated before paying another 4000 more still hits the wallet... The streets are not going to get better with the newest tax hike... |
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| 94turbocoupe |
the tax isnt a big deal.....if they dont get it here they will get it somewhere else....the big problem is when they take more money they dont neccesarily spend it all on stuff we need....remember everytime they suggest giving themselves raises....or the new art gallery for instance....just poor money management....wait a minute isnt that what we hire them for???:dunno:
Steve |
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| LeadSled |
quote:
Originally posted by Cyanide Ride
We give money for what? nothing. When does it stop and what else will happen if they use and abuse the money gained from from the land transfer tax?.
Fuck him, I never voted for Mandel.
+1 |
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| Supra_devil |
| take 1% more from the oil companies (who right now pay less 1/10 the taxes in alberta as they do anywhere else in the world), and there will be a whole lot more money available than taking us more. |
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| GQsmooth |
whoever is in favor with this proposal, you better get your head checked...
Fuck Mandel is right:mad: |
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| jberger |
quote:
Originally posted by Zed
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I can pretty much guarantee I am the poorest guy on the site actually, right now to my name I literallyhave 3 dollars in the bank and no cash, as well as a credit card that's well over its limit.
The gas prices didn't go over a buck because of taxes, the rising price of oil did that, be thankful you don't live in Europe, they dream of dollar a litre gasoline.
The municipal level of government gets the scraps from the federal and provincial funding, this will be a substantial revenue for them. I have no problem with taxing people who will most likely be making well into the tens of thousands of dollars anyways when they sell their house 1% of that sale.
so what you are saying is that you are jeulous that people are making money and your not ??? |
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| snugs |
| Why not just put a city employee on every corner with a gun and let them rob pedestrians, share the joy. :mad: |
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| Cyanide Ride |
quote:
Originally posted by Zed
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I can pretty much guarantee I am the poorest guy on the site actually, right now to my name I literallyhave 3 dollars in the bank and no cash, as well as a credit card that's well over its limit.
The gas prices didn't go over a buck because of taxes, the rising price of oil did that, be thankful you don't live in Europe, they dream of dollar a litre gasoline.
The municipal level of government gets the scraps from the federal and provincial funding, this will be a substantial revenue for them. I have no problem with taxing people who will most likely be making well into the tens of thousands of dollars anyways when they sell their house 1% of that sale.
Seriously speaking now, you missed the point of my statement.
Today it'll be 1%, when they've wasted that moeny, it'll be 10%, then when they vote themselves a raise or fat pension , it'll be 20%, etc.
The point I was trying to make is that once the tax is in place, that will be another outlet for them to exploit. All they have to do is "vote" in favour of it.
I'm sure when they are raising this tax, they will attempt to cover it up with something else. |
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| Zed |
quote:
Originally posted by jberger
so what you are saying is that you are jeulous that people are making money and your not ???
I wouldn't say I'm jealous, I just think that 1% is a reasonable tax increase on houses especially since their value has increased so much as of late. And this will only be approved if the provincial govt allows it, so that's a nice check on them just increasing this at will, as I'm assuming they would need more provincial support to adjust or implement a new tax. And I agree with the people who have stated that oil royalites should be raised, look at Alaska, where a lot less oil is taken out but everyone there gets annual cheques of about 2 grand. Albertans should get the same but instead this government sells out to corporate interests and keeps taxes extremely low and allows for the importation of foreign workers, selling out Canadians and Albertans in the process. Sorry, I'm getting off topic, I'll shutup now. |
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| SilverZ24 |
What I really don't like about this is that the city of Edmonton is already growing slower than Sherwood Park, St Albert, Beaumont, Deven, Spruce Grove, etc and this is just going to increase that problem. More people will continue to live in the outlying communities and just add to the tax shortfall that the city of Edmonton has to deal with.
The city needs to work more on increasing their tax base other ways like the new industrial park in the NE that was mentioned above. There needs to be more incentives for people to want to live within Edmonton city limits and not in the surrounding small towns.
Now in general I think Mandel is a good guy and the best Mayor we have had in a while, but this is just a stupid idea.
Now how about we tax all the sales of houses in Alberta only when the person doesn't purchase another house in the province?? Get all those people trying to cash in and leave. :G |
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| SilverZ24 |
I looked into this a bit and it actually isn't just for Edmonton as the article makes it sound, it is all of Alberta. So several of my comments above actually don't really apply then.
And Calgary's mayor was one of the guys that came up with it and supports it too, so it is not just Edmonton. |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by crazyrx7
Why don't they force the big industries to pay all of their taxes instead of just letting them pay the interest on them (companies like Shell, Suncor, Syncrude....). If we took that money I would almost be certain that the taxes would go down for the average individual.
On a side note I think that they should tax trailer park owners 10% (thats what Mandel owns) just for shits and giggles.
R.K.
Now that's a plan: taxing industry.
I realize that if we tax industry they'll just up and move elsewhere.....but so what. If they move, so will the economic boom, and prices will return to normal. Which means labour will be cheaper and the city can hire people for cheaper.
An economy that's outgrowing itself is not good. Overexpansion can be just as bad as a stiffled economy. Big business and their lobbyists save (and therefore make) a fortune thanks to the fact that receive tax break after tax break.
I realize big business still contributes more in tax dollars than anyone else, but they SHOULD. A company can make a billion dollars profit in one year, and pay $1 million in taxes. If that business was an individual, it's pay $400million+ in taxes. Why should a business receive a 400% savings?
Small and medium businesses don't get these breaks either, ONLY the large corporations. But as long as politicians continue to legally receive "kickbacks" and contributions from industry, this trend will continue.
I've written more than one letter requesting a law be proposed that removes corporate sponsorship from political aspirants. They're all rich bastards already, they can fund their own damned campaigns. |
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| DeathBy240 |
quote:
Originally posted by SilverZ24
I looked into this a bit and it actually isn't just for Edmonton as the article makes it sound, it is all of Alberta. So several of my comments above actually don't really apply then.
And Calgary's mayor was one of the guys that came up with it and supports it too, so it is not just Edmonton.
The new taxes were recommendations of the Minister's Council on Municipal Sustainability, which, like you said, was Mandel as well as Calgary's mayor, the Association of Canadian Municipalities and the rural municipality association (forget the exact title.)
It definitely wasn't all Mandel but he continues to push it. |
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| SilverZ24 |
| ^ that is exactly right. I spoke with someone from cfib on it I just couldn't remember all of the details. |
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| rexxrally |
Anybody notice that Mandel looks like a brother of Jan Reimer, the last mayor who almost completely ran this city right into the ground? Do you supposed it's a coincidence?
Let's see......Everybody voted for removing snow from the streets, so city council didn't do that.
Everybody voted against spending all the money on the Art Gallery, so city council voted in favour of it.
Everybody hates photo radar, so city council bought more of the photo radar vans.
Gee, maybe we should vote in favour of this new tax. Then city council will shoot it down. |
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| Blackcrx |
I lack the skills to but some one should make a online petions or some thing this is crap ! We work to pay our houses off and gain equity just to get taxes again. WE already pay taxes where we live Property tax . grr this just makes me so mad to even sort out my thoughts!
this seems more like some thing the NDP would do lol |
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