The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-07-28
TAX IN TWO CITIES
NeWark's Ordinance aud
Jersey City's Budget
Compared.
COST OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS
Essex's Capital Spends More
Money, But Has a Lower
Tax Rate.
POLLS AND RANK STOCK ASSESSED
POLLS AND BANK STOCK ASSESSED

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1t may be of interest to the taxpayer OF
Jersey City, who grumbles every time he
walks up to the City Collectors office, to
know that it costs the city of Newark, with
very few if any more inhabitants than Jer-
sey City, 1924, 1919 more to run the municipal
| government a year than it does Jersey City,
Both cities ave Just completed their budgets
for the coming year, and they show thai
the appropriation for Jersey. City, exclusive
of the monies received from the State for
Public Schools, amounts to S1,054,530, and
that of Newark to S1,2IS,7 ~ The
budgets are determined in different ways in
the two cities. In Jersey City the Finance
Board fixes the amount to be allotted to
each board of the municipal government,
| while in Newark the Board OF Aldermen de-
| termines the amounts by an ordinance. The
budget of Jersey City for the actual expenses
| of the various boards for salaries, supplies
and SO forth, not including the amount
| which the CITY will receive from the State
| for the schools, amounts to Sl,3O0,03i, While
the tax ordinance of Newark for the same
purpose, exclusive of moneys received from
the school fund calls for Sl.27S, 129.
NEWARK . IAN
The tax ordinance of Newark does not go
into details like the Jersey City budget, and
instead of itemizing the appropriations OF
each board as the Finance Board does it
specifies a lump sum. But enough is given
to make comparisons.
For lighting the streets in Newark $780,
39S is required, while the Street and Water
Board of Jersey City is allowed this year
for the same purpose $4,000. For the
Poor Department they require in Newark
$37. 900, while the Aldermen in Jersey
CITY are given for that purpose only
$500. In Newark the authorities are al
lowed 1913, 300 for the regulating, cleaning
and keeping in repair the streets and high
ways. The Jersey City Street and Water
Commissioners are given for cleaning streets
and removing garbage, $4,000; for repairs
to unpaved streets, including salaries, $4,000,
besides the .-portion of the license monies
which are given by the charter for the re-
pair of streets.
1t takes 81, 149 to regulate, improve n
protect the public grounds and parks in
Newark, while Jersey City requires only
s., 800 for public grounds and buildings, in
Guiding salaries. But then it must be admit
ted that Newark's parks and public grounds
are much more extensive than those OF Jer-
sey City.
REPAIRS TO BUILDINGS.
For repairs and incidental expenses to
public buildings Newark appropriates $50,
600. while in Jersey City $500 is given for
repairs and insurance to the City Hall;
$1,000 for repairs and incidentals to build
ings of the police department, 81 800 for re-
pairs to fire department buildings, and
81. 800 for repairing the school buildings,
making Il total of $500
For the current expenses of the public
schools. exclusive of the State appropriation,
Newark requires $113,320, while in Jersey
City the city appropriation amounts to
SILL 65.
The Newark ordinance a~ppropriates the
lump sum of 1919, 100 for the support of the
Police Department while in Jersey City the
entire appropriation for the uses of that
department including salaries, fuel, feed of
horses and prisoners; photographs of prison
ers; supplies for station houses, department
repairs and lncidentals, maintenance of
system: horses. lighting station house. &C.,
amounts to 1892, 765. In this sum is included
S19,5 0 for hospitals and dispensaries which
receives a separate appropriation i'll Newark
of 49, 600. The Police Board in Jersey City
is also the Health Department, and receives
no extra appropriation, as such while in
Newark, $40 0 is set aside for the main
tenance of the Health Department.
HAS TO "A o ATE
1t REQUIRES Sl9I, 820 to run the Newark
Fire Department, while the same depart
ment in Jersey City manages to get along on
SlDJ.D)U. AL llCLi VI TOt--o lOI Whit lOT
the extinguishing of fires appears in the
Newark ordinance. Thu ordinance also APP
proprfates S4G.6 1S for cleaning Il keeping
In repair the public sewers. The Jersey City
Street and Water Commissioners are al
lowed 81. 600 for the reconstruction of sewers
and S12, 600 for cleaning sewers and ~receiv-
ing basins, both sums including salaries paid
to the inspectors.
Newark will spend 81, 043 for the regulat-
ing and keeping in repair the wharyes and
docks of the city. It's budget also contains
an item of 500, 90 for a scavenger contract
for the removal of garbage and ashes 1t
includes the cost of cleaning the streets III
the 1913, 900 appropriated for cleaning and
keeping in repair the streets and highways
of the city. There is a further appropria-
tion in the Newark budget of 81 900 for col
lecting the taxes, while another item reads
For amount OF unsolicited personal taxes
of 1892, $50, 000." Another item %appropri-
ates 5 2,805 for public baths, a feature that is
sadly missing from the Jersey City budget.
COST OF H
The public library of Newark calls for
$42, 627, wf1ile that OF Jersey City receives
S2S.000 Arnories cost Newark $2,os4, while
jersey City houses her soldier boys for
$500. A curious item in Newark's
ordinances reads, for defalcations $780,
It is evident the Aldermen think they have
a very small thief among them. The en-
SluecIlIS ucpdl UliiClU VI ANGWctlh S6bos 49,
900, while Jersey City pays almost as much,
the amount being 81, 700. Twenty thousand
dollars goes to the executive department of
the Street and Water Board of Newark,
though for what purpose does not appear in
the ordinance.
When it comes to the iJems relating to the
payment of interest on bonds. to the sinking
fund and of bonds due. Jersey City leads
Newark considerably. The total amount
appropriated for this purpose in Newark is
s526, 40, while in Jersey City it reaches
S722, 494. Newark, however, is far ahead of
Jersey City in the value Of its taxable prop
erty. 1t collects tax on $3.50 polls, while
no attempt to collect such tax is made in
Jersey City. The total real estate
valuations are S102, 665, 175, and the personal
S25, 1872, S3S. From this deduct 81, 022, SSI
for Indebtedness, leaving a total of S126, 225,
1872. In addition to this it collects taxes on
So, 1874, 91I of bank stock. On the other
hand, Jersey City's valuations, as returned
to the County Board OF Equalization, are.-
real estate, $3.50 ,930: personal, $7,029, $50.
making a total to be taxed of $50, 580,970, as
against a total of 1929, 39s, 923 in Newark.
1t is no wonder that although it costs more
to carry on the municipal government Of
Newark than it does Jersey City, the tax
is 1.96, while that of Jersey City is 2.75.
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