Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-02-13
Eastern Bergen County
Improvement Assn.

l
the Eastern Bergen County Improve
ment Association will meet in the
Tenaf1y Borough Hall on Thursday
evening", February 18th. The Bor-
oughs of Ridgefield Park and Fair
view are the latest ones to join the
"Fighting Mayors" 1t is quite likely
that Bergenfield will soon be enlisted
in the ranks. Absolute unity among
all the twenty-five Eastern Bergen
communities seems probable.
When the Association was perma-
nently organized at the February
meeting in Tenafly year ago there
were twelve members. This addition
of six communities in the first year
of its existence shows what hold it
has obtained upon the public, and is a
striking indication Of it's influence for
good. No Association ever organized
in Bergen county has received such
cordial support from the press and
public.
Mayor Byron M. Huyler, the new
President of the Association, is anx-
ious to have an especially large at
tendance at the next meeting, as it is
the first to be held at his home town
since his election. He also has in mind
a plan for some effective work during
the coming spring.
Considerable interest is being taken
by members of the Association in the
measures relating to assessments and
taxes pending before the General
Assembly. The Secretary has re-
ceived several letters on the subject,
and herewith presents extracts from
two of them as showing contrasting
views. One is from M. D. Starker,
village clerk of Ridgefeld Park, and
the other from William C. Endres,
borough clerk of Closter. Mr.. Starker
writes:
Commissioner Ayers has re-
quested me to say that the
Board of Commissioners of
Ridgefeld Park are strongly op-
posed to the bill now pending in
the Legislature, providing for the
abolition of the local assessors
and having appointments made
under civil service at a salary of
$1,000 per annum, these appoint
ments to cover districts of at
| least three or four towns each.
"The commissioners feel that it
is impossible for one man at the
above stated salary to cover all
the towns proposed to be placed
into one district and give the work
the required attention; and also
it appears to them that no man is
better qualified to assess property
| of a certain town than a resident
of that town."
| Mr.. Endres takes the opposite view,
and favors getting rid of the local
assessors and the establishing of a
tax commission in place of the present
county board. He says:
eff we can get rid of our sew
enty Assessors, the same as our
thirty-two Freeholders, we will
have lower taxes, lights all over
the county, better schools and a
broader outlook as citizens of the
county instead of little boroughs.
Reading Governor Fielder's mes
sage, l would suggest the follow
ing plan for tax commission, to
do away with present evils:
"Q) Divide the county in
seven or nine contiguous districts,
having an assessed valuation as
nearly even as possible.
"(2) The Governor to appoint
Commissioners, one from each
district, to be non-partisan.
"(3) The legal voters of each
district to nominate at the Pri-
mary Election two names, one of
which the Governor is to appoint
as Commissioner.
"(4) Commissioners to be ap
pointed for three or five years,
two or three to retire each year,
so as to make the Commission a
continuous body, gaining expert
ence. The salary to be adequate,
so that all their time can be
given to the Office.
"(5) Assessment Maps as now
provided for to be the basis of
all assessments and to be fur
nished by the municipalities.
These maps to be the basis for
all assessments, the Commits
sioners to fix rate for county tax,
State school tax, and provide
for street lights, roads, repairs.
COY Assessments to be open
for inspection or appeals, by indi-
viduals or municipalities. All dis
puted taxes to be paid and held by
the Board until final adjudication.