The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Halifax regional council to reject city staff’s proposal to increase next year’s property taxes by 9.7 per cent.

“Taxpayers are hurting and they continue to face soaring prices on groceries, home heating and other essentials,” said CTF Interim Atlantic Director Jay Goldberg. “The last thing cash-strapped families can afford is a massive property tax hike.”

The regional municipality’s staff released new recommendations to city council ahead of deliberations on the region’s upcoming 2024-25 budget. One key recommendation is to increase property taxes by 9.7 per cent, which would mean a $221 tax hike on the average residential property tax bill.

According to city staff, the regional municipality is facing a $105 million shortfall in 2024-25. If council instead reduced its spending plans to 2022 levels, the municipality’s entire budget gap would be eliminated.

“Mayor Mike Savage and council need to find savings in the budget instead of pummelling taxpayers with a massive tax hike,” Goldberg said. “Families can’t afford to pay more just because politicians can’t make tough decisions. City staff’s plan to hike properly taxes by nearly 10 per cent must be ruled out completely.”