The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-08-07
TAXES TO co Up
County Tax Board Raises
Assessments in North
Hudson.
ONE ASSESSORS PROTEST
He Thinks He Knows as
Much About Valuation as
the Commissioners.

At its meeting held in the Court House
yesterday afternoon the County Board for
the Equalization of Taxes disgusted the
taxpayers of Hoboken and the North
Hudson townships by adding So, 727.9i595 to
the valuations returned by their local as
sesors. The increases vary from 112 per
cent in the case of Hoboken to 70 per
cent. in Weehawken.
The County Commissioners claim that
the property in the North Hudson taxing
districts is only assessed at about 50 per
cent. of its actual value; Bayonne at 60,
Hoboken fraction less, and Jersey City
20 per cent While they admit that the
West Hudson taxing districts are not as
sessed at much over 50 per cent no in
creases are made in their valuations be-
cause the Commissioners say property
has deprecated in that section owing to
the odors arising from the pollution of
the Passaic River.
The declared object of the county board
in making the summary increases in
North Hudson's valuations in the equal
ization of all the property outside of.
Jersey City on a so per cent. basis. They
admit that some of the poorer class prop
erty in these taxing districts is already
assessed at this figure, and in some casse
above it, but say that the better class
property is not valued at over 40 per cent.
of it's actual worth. These inequalities
they claim they are powerless to adjust
and the summary increases must there
fore be added alike to the property
already over assessed as well as to that
deal of the poorer property in these places
The total valuation of the county for
the present year including the percentages
added by the county board, is s169, ,127,-
S90.95. as against $16l. .994, ,3O2 las4 year; an
increase of $7,133, ,5Ss.s5. The county tax
rate is S5.53 per $1,G00 of ratables as
against $5.9S last year, and the State
school tax rate is but $2.57 per $1,000 of
ratables this year, a reduction of II from
last years figures. This make total re-
duction of 81 per $1,000 in the State school
and county tax combined.
The increase over last year is about Az
per cent. of the entire valuation of the
county, which will, of course, benefit Jer-
sey City. Bayonne, the West Hudson tax
ing districts and even Hoboken, despite
the summary addition of IL per cent to
her valuations. The burden must, of
course faii on the North Hudson munich
palities. whose valuations have been
summarily increased.
President James G. Morgan, of the
board, opposed and voted against the in
creases advocated by his colleagues. Af-
terwards to a News reporter he said
While I realize that much of the bet
ter class of property in the taxing dis
tricts of North Hudson escapes it's first
share of taxation through the favoritism
of local assessors. I know that great deal
of the poorer property in these places
is already over assessed. ] voted against
the increase on account of the effect they
would have in increasing the already
heavy burden in the latter class of prop
erty, but must admit that, by reason of
the actions of the local assessors in many
of the North Hudson taxing districts, in
failing to return an average valuation of
80 per cent, there was nothing left for
the county board to do but to summarily
Increase the totals of these districts.
1.-THE remedy does not lie in our hands.
have for several years past advocated
that the State Board of Taxation be ap-
pealed to to equalize and assess the
North Hudson taxing districts, but nv
colleagues seemed to oppose the idea. The
impessibility of getting fair and equal
hple dSSeSSHIeHlS SHOWS the mistakes of
electing assessors. In the time allowed
the County Board in which to transact its
business for the year it would be impos-
sible to equalize the assessment on in
Eividual holdings. Where fifty cases
might be attended to five hundred could
not be touched and this would be un
fair. Under the circumstances there was
nothing to do when our examinations dis
closed the valuations were far below 80
per cent, but to increase them to tbat
figure"
All the Commissioners were present
when President Morgan called the board
to order yesterday afternoon and with tbe
exception of Jersey City nearly all tho
taxing districts were represented by local
assessors.
President Morgan asked If the Hobo,xan
TAX Commissioners had any statement to
make or any additions to make to their
report and Commissioner DolIard renliad
mat the report was complete.
Assessor McDermott of West Hobolre,.
was then called for but was not present
sion. ''ise ses-
The following apportionment Of ststa
,ehooi and county tax for year 1eoO-1ao1
was made:- -'''-1'Vi
District RAoI Ir.+
1erS0nq