Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-09-27
FORT LEE RAISING SALARIES.

AT the last meeting of the Fort Lee
Council as reported in the Sentinel
last week. occurs the GLOWING signifi-
cant paragraphs:
AN ordinance to fix the salary of
the collector of the borough was in
PRODUCED by Mr.. Schall and was
passed to first reading
AN ordinance to fix the salary of
the assessor of the borough was in
troduced by Mr.. Cook and was passed
to the first reading"
The significance of the two para
graphs is that such things are done
without the slightest notice being
taken of them by the public The
public does not care for these things
and the bills are paid by the poor
boob taxpayer. When Palisade was
born the pay of these two offices was
just $500 each per year. They have
since increased to $500 or AGO per
cent. The central thought in the
original ideals behind the borough
government movement was that it was
an altruiStic suggestion looking to
SratuitiOuS process of serving ones
neighbOrs in small local governments.
That that day has passed is evident
from the tremendous cost of running
borough the size of Fort Lee in
creasing from year to year till all
taxes are a burden and there is no
telling where the thing is going to end
Another matter connected with the
publication quoted is that the salary
is not mentioned. The collectors sal
airy will be $500 year, the Palisa-
diap has learned; that of the assessor,
$1,000. The collectors work has now
run into a mans job, whereas
in the other days it was run
merely as matter of accommodate
ton.
The assessors post is mucn more
sacred place to fill than any other in
the borough, because it is the foun-
tain source of fixing values. 1t is
supposed to be managed on the basis
of justice and fairness to all, with no
favoritism for any What a contrast
in the actual facts connected with this
office for many years past. For years
the Sanford Ross property was as
sessed at $4,000 and was recently
sold for 100000 cash. 1t had only q
$36 800 valuation when sold, and the
collector positively knew that large
offers had been made for it away
above any assessment that had ever
been put on it, To this may be added
the Allison Land Company, 1876 acres
cutting the borough in half. and run
ring from the Hudson river to the
LeOnia borough line. Only Il few
years ago this property was away
down in its assessment, and only
very little while ago there was an APP
peal on it at a time when Judge
Suefert was borough attorney and at
torney at the same time for the ALI
son Land Company. One fair day the
County Board of Equalization was APP
pealed to for IA reduction on that as
sessment of $4,000 and no one was
there to represent the borough i'll pro-
test, whereupOn the board member
William Conklin, no other members be-
ing present, wrote on the record these
words: "Reduced to $4,000, Assessor
Cavanaugh concurring." This awful
messing of things, however, was APP
pealed to the state board and the as
sessment placed back to $136,500 where
it has since remained. 1t is such things
as these that make the assessors Of
flee such a sacred trust. and no man
ought to be honored with that office
who is not above doing all questionable
things.