The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-02-14
EQUAL TAX
DISCUSSION
Regarding 4 Fixed Tax Rate
to Cover Everything IN
the State.
SOME TAX RATE STATISTICS

The recommendations of the Equal
Tax Commission that there should be
a fixed tax rate throughout the State
have caused much discussion among
city officials and taxpayers generally.
Apparently, the majority members Of
the Commission think this fixed tax
rate should cover everything. Com
missioner Riker, in his report, thinks
it should cover only the running ex-
penses Of a city, independent Of the
interest account, much the same as
Newark's / per cent. limit now does.
He thinks, too, that such business en-
terprises as water supply might also be
exempted The rate which has been
suggested as being enoughfo all cities
is $3.50 per 300 of valuation. The av-
erage rate is about $2.20. Evidently
III the $l.5O should be made to cover
everything, it would be necessary to
have large increase in valuations,
and while this would be practicable in
some places, no doubt, it would not be
in Newark, unless railroad and other
corporate property should be made
taxable in large amounts.
Tt is the general impression that the
greater extravagances are to be found
in the cities, but strange to say the low
est tax rate in New Jersey taxing dis
tricts is that of Morristown. where the
rate is but 47 cents on the 800 of as
sessed valuation. That the largest
cities do not have the heaviest tax
rates is shown that the rate in the
city Of Dover, small city, is 1884,
the highest in New Jersey taxing dis
tricts.
The average tax rate of the thirty
five principal cities of New Jersey is
S2.4l on the 300 assessed valuation.
OF these cities but one, Morristown,
has no funded debt, while ten cities
have no floating debt.
The floating debt of counties is eat
ing up the people Of many OF the
States divisions and getting them out
of sorts with Boards of Freeholders.
OF the twenty-one counties Of the
State twelve of them have floating
debts. The chief sinner in this loose
manner of financing is Mercer county
with S434 500. The effort Of the Tren-
ton City Council to fund the citys
floating debt so as to pay the county
nearly S6O0,000 debt will result in this
county's floating debt being reduced
before the 1905 reports reach the State
capitol. Next to Mercer in amount
of floating debt comes Monmouth coun-
ty, with $685. ,773. Then comes Bur
lington, with S10O, 600; Somerset, $751;
095; Morris, $4O,25O; Sussex, 100000;
Cumberland, $4,000; Middlesex, $20,-
600; Salem, $4,000; Hudson, $4,000;
Gloucester, $500; Cape May, sS,240;
Atlantic, ST., $50. But five counties
have sinking funds, though but four
have no funded Indebtedness. Those
having sinking funds, showing due
regard for finances, are Hudson, $941,-
1893; Essex, 1872, ,952 Camden, $lO,37S;
Union, S8 900, and Morris, $4,000.
The counties having no funded debt
are Burlington, Hunterdon, Somerset
and Sussex. Thus it will be seen that
the two latter-named counties are al
lowing taxpayers to be eaten up with
$78,095 and 5000 floating debt, re-
spectively, when the debt could be
funded with bonds, and carrying but
half the interest.
After all, the tax rates mean but
little If the valuation is large the
rate is low while if the valuation is
kept down, up goes the rate. One ad-
vantage of The latter practice is that
the taxing district escapes its just
share of county and other general
taxes.
Morristown and Dover are compared
in the article; yet Dover with its
higher rate owns its water plant, on
which it pays interest also collects
and disposes Of the ashes and garbage
Of the town. If the present cost of
garbage and ashes collection and street
sprinkling, as now done by private in
dividuals, be added to the tax of Nor
ristown, the story might be different.