Perth Amboy evening news., 1917-11-03
TAX SITUATION
IN SOUTH AhBOY
COunciImen Hackett, in Letter,
Has Something to Say of
the S1.99 Tax Rate.

Councilman Hackett sends the
following letter to the EVENING
NEWS regarding the tax situation in
South Amboy:
The mayor, Alfred 7. Kerr, took
exception to my remarks about the
tax rate for the year made at the
last meeting Of the common council
That I was right in my stand few
facts and some figures, taken from the
official minutes OF the various meet
ings of the council for this and other
years viii clearly show. The amount
Of money raised by taxes is known in
the bi-weekly report Of the treasurer
as the General Account" The
amount raised in 1916 was $4,000,
the amount raised in 1917 was
s4S,32 and the amount to be raised
for 1918 is sS0,175. These are the
net totals for each of the named
years. The increase in the amount
needed for the support of the schools
and the increase in the salaries and
members of the police force may ac-
count for the difference between the
amount for 1916 and the amount for
1917. But how Mayor Kerr explain
the difference between the amounts
for those years and the amount for
1918?
The school budget for 1916 was
$4,000, for 1917 was s20,355, and for
1913 will be $4,000. The amounts
are needed for the upkeep of the
schools. and cannot be changed by the
common council. Deducting these
amounts from the net budget amounts
for 1916, 1917 and 1918, the net sums
to be raised by the taxes for those
years would be respectively the sums
of S26,100 for 1916, S27,970 for 1917,
and sS,175 for 1913. Does Mayor Kerr
mean to say that the men who spent
$4,000 in 1916 and $4,000 in 1917
will be able to get along on only S.
It's for the year 1918? Perhaps he
can, because of his long experience
as a public servant, imagine such a
small sum covering the years expen-
ditures of this city, but he has had
only years experience with the com
mon council as at present constituted
'"Fhe council that is going to worry
through on less than $4,000 for the
year 1918 spent all the money collect
ed for taxes last year SO quickly that
the treasurer's report for March 18th,
1917, showed the general account
overdrawn to the extent of s6,333.75;
the oyerdraft on April 10th, 1917 be-
fore the receipt of the loquir licenses
according to the minutes of that meet
ing was the sum of s7,90445, and the
overdraft on October 9Th, according to
the minutes of that meeting was
s6,214.30.
Compare the reports of the treas
urer for the dates of other years cor
responding with October Of this year
and see the results. The balances ac-
cording to the minutes of the meeting
of October 12, 1915, were:
General account, balance, $e5917.
Water account, balance, s3,51s &C.
Sanitary sewers. balance, s4,55153.
Broadway improvement, balance.
s1,4T2.37.
On October IL, 1915, the following
General account, overdrawn, sS,-
S5S.SS
Water account, balance, s11,6205S
Sanitary sewers, balance, S1,20133.
Broadway Improvement, overdrawn,
s416.75.
On January 1e, 1917, the following
were the balances in these accounts:
General account, balance, s16.63S.S4
Water account balance, s11,726.0S.
Sanitary sewers, balance. s348.4S.
Broadway Improvement, oyerdragn,
$542.1O.
On October 8. 1917. the following
were the balances in these accounts;
General account, oyerdrawn. So
214S0.
Water account, balance, s4.sS5ss.
Sanitary sewers. overdrawn, s1,-
5000.
Broadway Improvement, overdrawn,
s22.37.
The city, according to this last re-
port of the treasurer, was In debt to
some one to the tune of s3,019.7S with
two months to go and only sS.175 to
pay off that debt and run the city for
1918. Maybe Mayor Kerr can ex-
plain that state of affairs or say that
these figures are not correct. They
are from the minutes which were ap-
proved October 9, at a regular coun-
Gil meeting at which he was present.
1t might be well to say something at
this time about the other items of in
debtedness of the city. There are notes
to the amount of s12, 900 for the Stew
ems avenue pavement, of $4,000 for
the Broadway pavement, $500 for
the John street sidew,.Tls and curbs,
and general account notes discounted
only this year for $25,000. How does
Mayor Kerr account for the health of
the city under these circumstances
The city has only its credit left, and
that is not going to last long if things
are allowed to go along in the same rut
for any great length of time.
On September IL. 1917, there was
authorized an issue of $4,000 tenn
porary improvement bonds. That will
be only a fee bite of the sum needed to
pay off the debts of this city. There