New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-14
TO EQUALZE TAX ROLLS
Mayor Tells the Commissioners
1t Must Be Done at Once.
OFFERS TO HELP BOARD
But Extra Men Are Not Needed,
Says Purdy-Attitude as To
Personal Levy Unchanged.

Mayor Csaynor addressed the Tax Board
yesterday on the Importance Of bringing
about an equalization of the tax assess
rlents of real estate for next year Il see
every day." he said, things that indicate
10 me that Il is very, very important that
this thing be done. IT is the most i'm
portant thing in my mind. 1t was at the
beginning. and is yet
Mayor suggested that all the deputies
be called before the board and logged
about the matter. Have you made il
known TO them" he asked, that any of
these discrepancies and undervaluations
Will be cause for asking for their resigna-
t'ons?'
If il were necessary to hire an additional
force of experts in order TO revise the tax
rolls, the Mayor said. he thought it could
be done Members of the board, including
Commissioners White, McElroy and Wall,
explained what was being done to bring
about an equalization II was said that the
work could be done without an additional
force.
In reply TO a question from Mr.. Purdy as
10 the policy to be used in making up the
personal tax rolls, in case the bill
abolishing personal taxation should not go
he put on the rolls unless it was fairly well
known that he had personal property sub
5ect TO taxation. Persons should not be
placed there by mere guesswork, he de-
clared, as 1t was a great annoyance TO
those who were obliged TO reveal their per-
sonal affairs in swearing off such ASSESS
ments
The Mayor promised to write letter ex-
the
passage of the bill abolishing personal taxa
ton. It will be addressed to the Corpora
ton Counsel in order that his assistant at
Albany may use II in working for the bill.
Speaking OF the equalization of real es-
tate assessments. the Mayor said, in part:
came over here to meet You because
things are coming up in the city govern
Inent which cause me anxiety all the time
about the equalizat ton of the values
understand il so far as anything has been
stated about IL publicly. There are proper
ties that are valued altogether too low
IN proportion TO the values put on the resi-
Of the property. and possibly there is some
property valued too highly-l don't know
how that is.
I noticed in the Sinking Fund Commits
sion where We require that the assessed
value and the actual value be put against
each piece of property which the city leases
~ hires. that sometimes the assessed val,
nation is down TO one-quarter or one-thlrd
Of what IS put down as the actual Naiue-
And ] have sent here from time to time
letters which would seem to indicate that
same thing throughout some parts of the
city Now. ! am very anxious about TINS
or ] would not come over here TO speak
a bout it-that We get the valuations
throughout the city equalized in the COM
ing year. that is to say, that the proper
lies that are assessed proporuonately at
too low a value he raised up
Some people understand so little as 70
think that that makes the taxes higher. II
only makes everybody pay their tuQdl
share Some that are paying too much
now would pay less then, and some that
are paving too little now would pay more
then bur The budget would be the same.
Although the Mayor expressed his viii
nsness 10 provide an extra force OF men
FOR efx or nine months TO get the assess
1nents on an equal basis, he seemed pleased
that the commissioners thought they would
he able 20 do the work without additional
help. once the eQualizations are made II
will be 8 comparatively easy matter TO
keen them up