Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-02-04
CLAIM COUNTY
RATAbLESLOW
Opinion of Union County Tax
Board is Not Denied by
MiddIeSex Board.
TO ACT WITH THE STATE
President of Board, and Other
County Officials Agree -
$4,000, 900 Low, is Claim

Claiming, that the Middlesex
county tax ratables have been un-
dervalued at least $50. 100000 by the
Middlesex County Board of Taxa
ton. an appeal will be made by the
Union County Board of Taxation to
the State Board of Taxes and AS
sessments for an immediate revision
of the Middlesex assessments The
Union County Tax Board has re-
quested the Union county Board of
Freeholders to join with them in
making the appeal, they claiming
that 1t Is putting an unjust burden
on that county.
John SSassburger, of New
Brunswick, president of the Middle
sex County Board of Taxation. when
questioned this morning as to the
truth of the claims of the Union
county board, admitted that such
was the fact, but said that the tax
board had been endeavoring to raise
the valuations up to the point where
they should be. Mr.. Strassburger
admitted that the couny ratables are
too low but he said they had been
brought up slowly. He said that
1t was up to the assessors TO act, In
certain extent.
The tax board president explained
that the board met a problem in
dealing with the manufacturing
plants who fought increases in their
ratables and valuations. Mr. Strass-
burger declared that although these
industrial valuations had been in
creased approximately thirty per
cent. they had not been increased
enough as yet. Union county, he
said, has nearer a just ratable chart
than has. Middlesex.
| Mr.. Strassburger emphasized the
fact that it Is an uphill fight all OF
| the way but said the members OF
the board were working constantly
| to increase the assessments.
County Treasurer F. William Hill
Lker has maintained all along that
the Middlesex county ratables are
entirely too low and declared that
steps should be taken to increase
them considerably. He has pro-
tested time and against the low
ratables. The Board of Freehold
ers have backed the county treas
urer in his stand.
The other members of the county
tax board, in addition to President
| Strassburger, are George Haney, OF
| this city, and Joseph Hermann OF
Roosevelt.
| The Union county claim is that
Middlesex's tax ratables are $780,
900, 900 low as compared with the
valuations placed on similar proper
| ty in that county, and that this situ-
alton puts an unfair burden upon
| Union county taxpayers.
With three times the land area OF
Union county, and with only $1,000
| less population, it is pointed out that
Midd1esex county last year reported
ratables on which state school taxes
are levied at only s121.120,7S1, as
against s226,237.7S6 reported by I'm
| ion county. After an Investigation
OF the matter the members of the
| Union county board are convinced
that this is a disproportionate diff
| ference. Union county's $1,000 In
| habitants, in excess of Middlesez
county's population. are paying tax
es on more than one hundred mil
lions of dollars of ratables. equiva-
lent to approximately five-sixths OF
the total taxable values of the
neighboring county.
Efforts to Equalizc Here
The Union County Board of Taxa.
| ton laid this situation before the
Board of Freeholders and before the
officials of the state tax board, with
the object of having action taken a
once to bring about revaluations IN
Middlesex TO equalize assessments
on which the 1921 taxes will be col
lected.