The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-12
TAXATION FIGR7
Newark Ready to Help Jersey
City-To Survey Railroad
Property.

From the Newark Evening News
Jersey City has appealed to Newark to
cooperate in the light for the equal taxa
ton of railroad property. Mayor Seymour,
who was informally requested by Mayor
Wanser to act is ready to do so. but the
local Tax Commissioners are moi.
So far as railroad taxation is concerned
the Commissioners Admit being In a uan
dairy, and have asked for an opinion from
City Couns Price. They want the gene
raj tax law interpreted so that they can
more clearly understand what the term
main stem" means. and whether they
nave a right to assess sidings and pro-
perty owned by individuals which is only
partly used for railroad purposes.
In many instances individuals nave sid
fngs run into their property. and as soon
as that Is dome they claim exemption from
local taxation. The total amount of pro-
perty so situated is increasing annually,
with q consequent loss of revenue to the
city. Just what the loss is cannot be as
certained without new surveys, because
the local tax board has no record what
ever of the value of railroad property
within the city.
Just as soon as a new tract of property
Is taken for railroad purposes It is dessg-
mated as such and no further record of its
value Is kept. In Jersey City a different
system is in vogue, and the local tax
Board there can tell at all times the ex-
act valuation Of property owned by the
railroads.
In that city, as in Newark, and in every
other seetion of the State, railroad pro-
perty used for railroad purposes is as
sessed and taxed by the State Board. The
main stem" which Includes the roadbed
for q width Of 100 feet, and an passenger
stations. Is subject to a tax of one-half of
one per cent.
An property used for railroad purposes
otHer than that included in the main
stem is assessed by the State Board
exceed one per cent. All other property
owned by the railroads IS assessed at To-
cal rates by the several local Boards.
It Is with THE latter class of property
according to the Tax Commissioners. A
case in DIN and at present in litigation
Is the Nesbft street property Of the Nor
RS n Essex Railroad. This embraces a
tract of 2.o9S square feet, and is assessed
by the State Board at $4,000. 1t is COW
cred with coal sheds used by a private
corporation, and nets the city a revenue
OF only $3.50 annually.
The local tax commission fixed the
value Of the. property at $50. O06, and if
taxed at the local rate this year it would
yield a revenue of a.1SS or about S90S in
excess of the amount tina viii be Sc
cured through the State Board Of AS
SCISSORS.
Several causes of a like character ex-
ist, The Nesbit street matter has been
taken into the Supreme Court as a test
case.
A source of much trouble to the local
board is the property owned by indi-
viduals on which sidings are run. Just
as soon as the tracks are laid the own
ers aliege it is railroad property and APP
peal to the State Board to have 1t as
sessed as such. BY so doing their rate
of taxation is reduced one-half and in
variabiy a similar reduction is made in
the property valuation. The total amount
of property of his kind is not known,
but it Is supposed to be very large.
Before taking any action along with
Jersey City, the local Tax Board will
cause surveys to be made of all the rail-
road property within the city. The actual
value of all the railroad property in the
city has been estimated at about S15,-
o00,e00. OF the entire amount the State
Board of Assessors finds only $763, 100 To-
Gated outside of the main stems" n
the city last year received only S7,631 in
local tax on railroad property from the
State. That amount was considerably less
than was received by Kearny Township,
which is accredited with having 1925 SOB
worth of railroad property other than
that included within the MAR STEM,
The amount of railroad property with
in the city has increased largely within
the past two years, and 1t is asserted that
a reimbursement of the [ b of taxa
ton would make an increase Of more
h a $4,000 annually in the revenue of
the city. That would allow a reduction
of several points In the tax levy, and
to secure 1t the local authorities say they
viii readily cooperate with Jersey City.