The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-05-16
Board Struggling to Keep
the Tax Rate From.
Going Up.
CLAIMS FROM ALL SIDES
Hough and Ely Differ From
Record and Comptroller
Won't Sign Bonds.

The Board of Finance is holding an I'M
uortant meeting this afternoon at the City
Hall. In addition to the Board there will
be present Mayor Fagan, Corporation
Counsel Record, Comptroller Hough, CITY
Treasurer Ely, the Board of Police Com
missioners, who are also the Health
Board. and the Board of Street and Wa
ter Commissioners. The meeting was
called principally for a general discussion
of the tax budget, but all the other
Boards, not represented today, urge
equally that they be granted appropria-
tions for new departures in their de-
partments.
The Street and Water Commissioners
ask that they be given the same proper
ton of the liquor license moneys as
heretofore. The Board of Finance is not
likely to grant this request as it has
about decided to make monthly allow
ances to the Street and Water Board
hereafter.
The Street and Water Board also wants
to know what the Board of Finance in
tends doing about a judgment obtained
by Contractor Henry Byrne for $500 for
work done two years ago in the Sixth
street sewer. Judgment was obtained two
months ago, and Counselor John Null
vaney, fer Mr.. Byrne, made "a demand ON
the Board for the money. The Board of
Finance has retained $25, 900 due the Street
and Water Board from the liquor license
money and it has considered paying the
Judgment out of this sum and turning
the balance over to the Street and Water
Board This the latter refuses to agree
to- 1t holds that as it was not the fault
of the Board that the claim was not paid
and the Judgment was obtained against
the city as a corpora ton, bonds should be
issued for the amount owing and the
whole of the s25 900 paid over to the Street
and Water Board.
The Board of Police Commissioners,
acting as the Board of Health, ask that
$3.50 be appropriated for the purpose of
defraying the expenses of vaccinating
every person in the city, who has not
been inoculated This step was advised
by Mayor Pagan a week ago and the
Board of Finance is favorably disposed
toward the application.
A matter that the Board of Finance has
had its attention called TO is the resolu-
tion it passed at its last meeting appro-
priating s1,70O for the maintenance of
the Board of Excise Commissioners. This
sum was Intended to carry the Excise.
Board over until June so when another
appropriation will be made. This money
was to be raised by issuing a temporary
loan bond 10 be taken up by the Sinking
Fund. Corporation Counsel Record ad
vised the Financiers that that was the
only method of raising the money under
the law, which provides for a salary for
Ter Hough and City Treasurer Ely take a
different view. They say the money
should be paid out of the balance of about
sS5 coo from liquor license money which is
now in the city treasury. By doing so
the officials would avoid the placing of
the s1.70O in the tax budget. City Comp
troller Hougas conviction on the matter
is so strong that he has not yet signed
the loan bond and is awaiting reconsidera-
ton of their action by ine Board of FL
nance
Discussion on the matter of appro-
priatlng 1880 for furniture for No. %
SdaccI also engages the Board of Ri
rance They do not wish to make amy
appropriations it Is possible to avoid un-
ii, after the l3quor license money for next
year ds received about July l. The Board
of Education, however, has awarded the
contracts for the furniture and they do
rot wish to have their awards knocked
out by the failure of the Board of FL
nance to furnish fumes at once. The
Board of Education has urged the Board
of Finance to settle this matter imme-
dsately so that the work may proceed
without decay.
Aside from the discussions with other
Boards the Board of Finance, Mayor
Pagan. City Comptroller Hough, City
Treasurer Ely and Corporation Counsel
Record are discussing the budget and
doing their best to keep the tax rate
where it is. a task that few believe can
be accomplished.