Final property tax bill hike set at 4.6%

City councilhas finalized a controversial increase in the mill rate, which works out to an average hike of 4.6 per cent.

Council voted 10 to four in favour of the increase on Monday.

The actual increase for a homeowner will depend ontheir home's assessed value. Homeownerswhose city property assessment remains the same will stillhave to pay4.6 per cent more in 2009 than they did the year before. Business owners willpay5.2 per cent more.

On a home assessed at about $427,000, the city median, the tax bill will increase by $95, for a total bill of just over $2,100.

Roughly half that amount is forwarded to the city, which set its increase at 5.3 per cent;the rest goes to the province as theeducation portion of thetax, which was set at 3.9 per cent.

Tax bills will be mailed out in the third week of May and are due the end of June.

Ald.Ric McIversaid although the increase isn't as high asinitially feared,Calgary homeownersare also gettinghit with added user fees in 2009, including a new$12 a month feefor recycling and garbage pick-up.