The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-11
KHARNY ON IT'S METFLE
What the Counci1men Had
To Say About the
Taxes.
Mr.. KENNY WAS SPOKESMAN.
Unless the State Board Sets Aside
the Increase, the Matter Will
Be Taken Before Judge
Knapp.


Of Taxes held q short session yesterday
afternoon, and after listening to the
grievances Of the councilmen from
Kearny, confirmed the assessments
levied. The confirmation OF the work
fixes the county rate at .55.0is, per s.
cents for each one hundred dollars, which
is the same as last year. The State
school rate Is 2s, sos or 90 cents per
hundred dollars. which is a reductlou Of
20 cents on each thousand dollars.
The Commissioners before going into
executive session, decided to hear the
complaint Of the Kearny Counciimen. IL
was at first thought thai they would not
be given hearing ms the Board had sat
as the Board Of Appeals for ten days
without hearing word from them.
The rele was set aside. however, and
Counsellor Kenny. of the Council Board.
was called upon 70 exDlain Kearny's
sentiments In regard 70 the increase
ordered
The first thing Mr. Kenny did was to
produce the assessments for the past ten
years. The figures show that there has
been a steady increase from year to year.
In 1882 the Variations were 81 ,3s7. .47z:
1888, 81 63l .645, 1884. 81, ,795 299 1885. 81 sol
$50; 1856. 81. 81. $50 1857. 81 ,95S. $50. 1883.
1891, 9, 400 450
The personal tax in Jersey City
amounts 10 g 0s3, $50, and according 10
Counsellor Kenny this allows $50 10 each
fnhabitanr. while Kearny's personal ss-
sessment OF S6l9. $50 gives $50 for every
inhabitant. They object most strenu-
ously to have that assessmenr increased
to Sl20 per capita as against Jersey City's
$50. Mr.. Kenny further claimed that II
assessments upon personal property IN
tercnF ftffu =
sessments Jersey City would have Der-
sonal ratables to the amount OF &f3. 376.-
800 instead Of s6. 100000
Mr.. Kenny compared Jersey City's per-
ssnal assessmen with that Of the city Of
Newark, which Is SO, ,00o, 900. or four
times as much. He further compared
the assessments levied upon lots z5x100
in Jersey City and kesrny.
REAL ESTATE VALUES.
The average assessment upon everv lot
In this city, ne claims, is 81 900, while IN /.
Kearny it is 81 300 new. wirheEt tax
ing into account the increase " 90 per
cent. which viii send it uD 10 5000
Clark's mills, the Kearny CeuDcilmen.
claim. are assessed izher In their town
than similar buildings in Newark The
works of the Clarks In Kearny are only
branches and do not cover as much
nor IS valuable ground IS the works IN
Newark
In Newark the real estate assessm snt
Is s340, 900 and in Kearny s3l5, 600; person
al in Newark, $500, 900, Kesrny, &20O. 900.
Mr.. Kenny accounted for the great esf-
ference in personal assessment BY stating
that only the machinery Of the works IN
kearnY could De assessed. as the product
is finished In Newark and taxed there
Counsellor Kenny. after producing these
figures and making the above compart-
sons. sailed into the Jersey City assess
meuts without gloves
SAILING INTO JERSEY CITY.
"NhaI we want to KNOW" he said, lis
why yeu made this unjust increase and
upon what basisfo
''That is easily answered" remarked
President Van Reipen. 1T was. sir, on
account Of your valuations, which must
say were extremely low. We compared
your valuations with valuations in other
parts of the county, and without any loss
OF time decided to make what we con-
sidered just and right increase
I'VE eau prove II is too high" inter-
ruDted Mr.. Kenny
I'VE have rendered our decision" said
Commissioner Morgan, land we viii nor
expose our sources Of Information. You
know it was because OF your low valua-
tioDs"
'.Our assessor has kept pace with the
growth of our town. continued Mr..
Kenny. Look at the steady increase for
the past ten years. and even this year we
increase our valuations Il per cent In
Kearny Is not Sinking taxpayer. Look
at Jersey Cityis valuations, aud can YOU
say thaIJersey City is being robbed? Mol
it Is the townships which are being robbed
and now you propose to add so per cent
to our valuations, and / say no fair
minded man would say il is right, and
hope you gentlemen viii reconsider your
action and not cousummate this outrage,
which is an outrage of the blackesg
kind.
IF our assessments must be increased
/ should think that you gentlemen would.
after reviewing the case more thoroughly,
in crease jersey City's valuations and not
rob the townships of the county,
The Kearnyite's little know how mar
rowly they ESCAPED having their vaiua-
tions increased 100 per cent. Such a mo-
tion was before the County Board, but vas
not carried. Assessor Ellis also Knows.
it is alleged. thai the cause Of Lhe present
increase is the fact that Kearuy's valua-
tions have been kept so low for years that
they hoped by making slight increases
every year, not 10 be touched BY the
County Board.
All the Kearny Councilmen present
spoke upon the matter OF the increase and
predicted ruin to the townships If the IN
crease was made. Their efforts TO change
the minds OF the Commissioners were USE
less and the increase was confirmed. The
action Of the Commissioners in ordering
the increase viii probably be certieraried.
If relief can not be obtained by the
Kearnyites through the State Board the
Couucilmen have decided 10 appropriate
money and decide the case in the courts.