Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-14
GETTING THE MONEY FOR THE BUDGET

If there ever was a need for expert fnanciering in handling the
city government it is needed now when the budget for next year is
being made up. There is SO much to be done and such a limited
amount to do it with that only the most careful handling of the
city funds will make the available money go around.
Municipal government in these days has become a complicated
business proposition. It lis a job for hard-headed business men. 1t
is a thankless job, in a way, because the compensation received by
the city officials does not begin to pay for the time and thought
required to do the work right. But because of the politics in
volved in all public offices there are few of the hard-headed bust
ness men who will give up their own work in order to give public
affairs the attention they require. Some day the people will realize
this and will see the wisdom of the city manager plan of municipal
government.
The enormous increase in the cost of everything since the war
has made the running of an up-todate city exceptionally hard.
The additional expense has got to be met, yet the people, in an
effort to keep down their personal expenses, want taxes lower. 1t
can't be done.
The larger the city the greater the expense of running it. The
more paved streets there are the greater is going to be the cost of
keeping them clean and in repair. The larger the population the
larger will be the police department and the fire department and
all other branches of the city government. The expense of all this
has got to be borne by the taxpayers. The demand for improve
ments is growing every year. New school houses have got to be
built and parks have got to be established.
The one way to meet these increased expenses without adding
to the burden of the taxpayers is to increase the ratables. This
means there must be an increase in taxable property. 1t means
that the city must be prepared to spend thousands Of dollars in
order that it may increase valuations by the millions.
Water front development, railroad sidings and other accommo-
dations for industries will bring the plants here and thereby enable
the city to meet its increasing expenses because the additional
plants not only mean increased ratables as far as the plants them
selves are concerned, but they mean more people coming mere ana
more people mean more homes to tax and more houses mean more
stores and all combine to increase the ratables in the community.
At this particular time, therefore, when the aldermen are
struggling with the annual budget and wondering how they are
going to make the money that they have go around, it is well for
them to consider the other side of the question and ask themselves
what is being done to make Perth Amboy a more attractive place
for industries to locate in and for people to make their homes.
Surely there is nothing to be proud of along this line during
the year now drawing to a close. There has been a decided lack OF
cooperation. Those that we already have, have been blocked at
every turn. When there has been a desire to expand the facilities
that they require in order to develop have been denied them.
Naturally, other industries, hearing of the treatment that the
plant already here receive, are going to keep away from Perth Am
boy. Thus the city, through the shortsightedness of her own Off
Gals, sees her municipal expenses mounting higher and higher
without a corresponding increase in ratable to meet the increase.
The added burden, therefore, falls on the people. This is some
thing for the aldermen to ponder over as they struggle with the
budget for next year. Let us hope that they will see the light and
that there will be a different deal for the industrial concerns in
1923.