The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-03
PARK FINANCE.
Conflicting Views as to
the Effect of the PuI-
chase on Taxation.
VORKINGOF THE MARTIN ACT
Plenty of Money for the
Bou1eVards, which the
sr Freeholders Are to
Build.
WORKING OF THE MARTIN ACT
The Law Leaves Mr.. Dugan No
Choice but to Sign the 30 nds.

County Collector Dugan's announce
ment that he will never, never, no, never.
sign the bonds which are to be issued for
the purchase and Improvement of the
projected county parks has aroused
world Of interest all over the county.
Mr.. Dugan's attitude is prompted by
considerate regard for the coming ia
levy, which is soon to be inflicted upon
the long suffering tax payers Of Jerse y
City. The parks will COST the county a
good deal Of money, and as Jersey City is
the biggest part OF the county she will,
of course, have to pay the biggest part of
the cost. The addition of this expense to
her extravagances of the past year will
send her tax rate up above three per
cent. She can then no longer avail her
self of the Tax Adjustment act and, of
course, she is hopelessly wrecked.
Bursting the restraints of the Tax
Adjustment act seem to have indefinable
terrors for the average oficeholder; and
it is among the possibilities that Collector
Dugan and others who talk so much
about it, have not a very clear apprehen-
sion of the situation as related to it. To
place the rate above three per cent would
not prevent the commissioners from going
on with their adjustments as usual.
They can adjust first as much after the
rate Is advanced to three per cent. as
they can now when it Is less than three
per cent. But the city cannot sue the
title to lands for taxes that accrue here
after, at the expiration of 6 three year
limit, ii its tax rate be above the figure,
without asking for u new adjustment.
AS the tax payers do not seem to be in
any hurry. as q rule, to settle their tax
bills, they might even be glad to pay
three per cent to escape the pursuit OF
the city's auctioneer for a season; and SO
the very point thai Mr. Dugan cites
hailed with delight by the ordinary run
Of taxpayers, as point in their favor.
THE FREEHoLDERS NOT IN ON IT.
One may find tho explanation of Mr..
Dugan's attitude in the history of the
PARK movement. The bill under which
in 1888. In its original shape it provided
that in the fixing of the sites, the Board
of Freeholders should be consulted, and
their concurrence should be secured. A
supplement- passed in 1889 wiped out this
power Of concurrence and left the Park
Commissioners to go it alone. The Board
of Freeholders had meanwhile pushed
through an act enabling them to build
the big boulevard, and the Legislature
probably concluded that the Board would
have It's hands full with that great enter
PRISE II 1t didn't think that, 1T at least
lnissioners In exclusive control of the
parks, and with the Board of Freeholders
in exclusive control of the boulevard,
honorsswere easy. ana SO the amendment
taking the Freeholdels out Of the Park
act went through.
1t evidently does not please Mr.. Dugan
to know that while the Board whose
servant he Is has no power over the
parks, it Is yet hidden to issue the bonds
Of the county upon the demand of the
Park Commissioners An unselhsh con-
cern for the size of the Jersey City tax
levy would prompt him to plant his foot
down just as firmly against the expensive
boulevard enterprise as against the less
costly parks. The fact that he has not
said that he will never, never, no, never
sign the boulevard bonds might point to
the conclusion that his series Of nevers
concerning the. park bonds is partly, per-
haps largely, due to the fact that the
Freeholders have no way of getting in on
the park improvements.
THE Law ABOUT THE BONDS.
1t is not known, nor is 1t to be believed
that the Board of Freeholders is behind
it's County Collector in his rather prema-
ture announcement Of his refusal 20 sign
the bonds. So far as Is known there is
no friction between the two
Boards on tn the q question. ,..;as the
requires the Freeholders, on the request
of the Commission, to issue thirty year
four per cent bonds equal In amount to
one per cent. of the rateables of the coun-
ty. and to turn the proceeds of the sales
at par over to this Commission for use in
the purchase and Improvement OF park
sites. The total rateables of the county
are $116,024, $50 The total issue of bonds
Will therefore be 81 .160. .24l.50.
10 cover the interest and redemprions
and the costs Of improving and maintain
ing the parks the Freeholders are directed
a
upon the rateables and put 1t into each
year'S tax levy.
The annual amount thus to be raised
will therefore be $l16,024 OF this SPECIAL
levy four-tenths will be needed TO pay the
interest on the bonds; n trif1e under Ave-
tenths will have to go to redemption, and
q trihe over one-tenth will be reserved to
defray the expense Of keeping the park 8
in o1deT.
WHY NOT BOULEVARD BONDS, TOO.
1t Is that issue Of 81, 100 241. so OF bonds
that the County Collector refuses to sign.
When he was visited last evening he re-
iterated his refusal. Because. as Jersey
+ City holds S72, ,367, 467 Of the total rateables
of the county, she will have to put s72. .967
extra money. in her tax levy. That, he
thinks, would be a very serious financial
obstruction for the city TO climb over.
The extravagances of the ring have been
so excessive that the tax rate will have to
be three per cent at the least, and the adj
dition Of $72, 900 to its tax levy would send
the rate higher. Mr.. Dugan did not put
it in just that way; but that was the
philosophy of It,
"But you are county and not city
officer" suggested. What special in
terest nave you in the city's tax levyW
That of citizen and tax payer and
lifelong resident, sir, was his reply.
but why does not your opposition to
these outside expenditures for improve
ments extend to the boulevard as well as
the parkss"
"Well, !" he replied, "the county boule-
ward is an Improvements that has been
before the people for twenty years. In
one way or another they have repeatedly
shown their desire for a proper road
They have voted it once or twice. The