Paying 21.5 per cent more in property taxes in 2006 seems a far cry from the two per cent hike the city said it was going to charge.

That's the opinion of Whitehorse resident Roger Rondeau, who said he's not happy about the extra cash he's going to have to fork out in municipal property taxes next year.

'We were under the impression that we were in for a two per cent hike in taxes ... the city has blind-sided ratepayers,' he said.

'It doesn't sound fair, equitable or comprehensive.'

Rondeau said after receiving an updated property assessment from the Yukon government (YTG), he realized that he might be paying more than just the two per cent rate hike.

'My total assessment went up 25 per cent,' he said.

After the municipal rate rollback promised by the city, he said, his property taxes will still rise19.5 per cent higher than promised.

'That's absolutely ridiculous. Well, what can I say? We have to fight the assessment, that's all I can think of,' he said.

Rondeau's taxes are set to rise by about $250 a year.

Also dismayed by the upcoming rate hikes is homeowner Gale Moffatt, whose property assessment was boosted 11 per cent by the YTG.

'If you take the present mill rate, it's an increase of $132 a year,' he said.

'If there's an increase in the assessment, they don't need to increase the mill rate because they'll already be getting more money,' he said.

According to the YTG taxation office, property assessments in the City of Whitehorse rose across the board.

According to taxation statistics, the total value of all Whitehorse properties, comprised of the various zoning categories, rose by an average of eight per cent.

Residential property totals were up an average of 10 per cent, non-residential properties were up three per cent and residential land values were up 14 per cent.

According to the city's financial manager, Ray Goriuck, the city will be rolling back the rates in an effort to ease the tax burden on residents.

'In general terms, the plan is to reduce the mill rate by an amount, on average, equivalent to the amount of the reassessment in percentage terms less the two per cent that council is proposing to increase the rate.'

The average increase, Goruick said, was 5.5 per cent.

So come tax time, he said, Whitehorse property owners will see their rates rolled back by 5.5 per cent before the two per cent rate hike is added to Whitehorsians' bills.

'We're going to take off the value of the reassessment and add two per cent,' he said.

Goruick said the rate increase will bring an extra $685,000 into the city's coffers, on top of the $19.2 million the city collected in property taxes in 2005.

Goruick said $500,000 of the extra cash will go toward the operation of the Canada Games Centre with the remainder going toward cost of living increases including fuel, materials and labour costs.