The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-10
He Advocates lacking Up
the Ratables to Garry
Out His Fa1s.
TAX BOARD PROTESTS
Commissioner Dayton Tells
Mr.. Record He Cannot
Run That Department

| A conference which was called for a
discussion of next years appropriations
by the Board of Tax Commissioners, the
Board of Finance Mayor Pagan and Cor
| poration Counsel Record for last night
was a fzzse. Only one member of the
Board of Finance, Commissioner Aber-
nethy, was present. and what was in
| tended to be a conference degenerated
into an informal talk. The three Tax
Commissioners were there and so was
Mayor Fagan and Mr.. Record had a bad
half hour with them.
The talk was had so that the Mayor
could learn how it is that his pet schemes
out endangering the financial standing Of
the city
The Board of Finance can Sc no way
in which it can avoid raising the tax rate
this year without any reference to the
schemes of Mayor Pagan. The natura,
| increases in the expenses of all city de-
partments is out of proportion to the in
| crease iii the assessment. Added to this
is the cost of Mayor Fagan's schemes
This would be fully s134.0OO if they are put
into effect. To provide for this it win be
necessary to put into the assessment 81
000,000 The increases in the expenses of
the various departments viii make il
necessary to put into the ratables about
So, 900, ,000 These additions viii send the
tax rate up to almost $50. 1t is now SIS.
Mayor Fagan is very anxious to avoid
this increase in the rate and he has sug-
gested thai the property throughout the
city be reassessed and about $10,00,0Go
added to the valuations if possible. This
would keep the rate where it is now. Il
was to talk over this matter that the con-
ference last night was held
The Tax Commissioners showed that
it was not possible to reassess the proper
ty now in time for the budget this year
but it's said that they will do so next
year.
The conference was private one aad
none of those present would talk for pub
lication this morning.
The scheme to jack up the assessments
was touched on by Mr.. Record. He OPEN
ed the subject by saying that the prop
erty on the river front might be reassess-
ed His talk was approved by Mayor
Fagan and led the Tax Commissioners to
believe that Mayor Pagan and Mr.. Rec
ord were of the opinion that the Commits
sioners were not making careful assess
ments this year. Commissioner Dayton.
said some plain things to Mr.. Record.
He gave the Corporation Counsel to un-
derstand that the Tax Commissioners
knew their business just as well as Mr..
Record did and that he would not be
permitted to run the Board of Tax Com
missioners. He said. Furthermore, that
the Commissioners would not do anything
to place them in an embarrassing posi-
tion or one that they could not justify be-
fore the State Board of Taxation or even
the local Board of Appeals. He said that
any scheme the Mayor or Mr.. Record had
to increase the ratables would have to be
put into effect without the assistance of
the Tax Commissioners.
President Hoos of the Tax Board, was
asked how he arrived at the amount at
which property should be assessed, and
he explained that he had to rely upon his
Judgment He said that those pieces of
property Mr.. Record suggested should be
reassessed might be increased if an ex-
pert was engaged, but this was impossible
as the Boards appropriation did not per-
nit it to engage experts.
.If." he said, "the Board of Finance
will increase our appropriation, we will
be glad to engage an expert
"The Board of Finace ought to do so,
said Mr.. Record.
Finance Commissioner Abernethy did
not think so.
Mr. Record was not pleased when told
that he would not be permitted to run
the Tax Board, but he remained quiet
about the matter.
The Mayor wanted to know what the
i,,o,ooea ~, ba rafablac would he this
year. The Tax Commissioners said they
could not tell him exactly now, but they
thought the increase would not be above
81, 600 600.
They are making a careful assessment,
and will be finished about July Is.