Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-21
METUCHENT TAX
| STATUS GIVEN
Exclamation Given on Order to
EquaIize Valuations in
That Borough

METUCHEN, Dec. 21.-The tax
| payers of Metuchen have become
unduly alarmed over the instruc-
Itions given to Assessor John Breen
to revise the tax assessments in h
| borough for the county tax board,
is only performing its duty in direct
ing that the assessments be equal
lied and thus place every taxpayer
IN the borough on ar equal footing.
1t may not be amiss to say h a AS
SCISSOR John Breen is subordinate to
the county tax board and that the
borough council OF Metuchen is
] without power to interfere in the
work of the assessor.
Assessor Breen has not been in
| structed tt make II reassessment of
the property of Metuchen. but he
has been directed to equalize his as
sessments and, unless the assess
ments are equalized, his tax dupli-
cate will be returned for revision,
and failure to follow out these In
structions, due legal process will be
taken by the county tax board to see
that it's orders ara fully carried out.
1t may seem to some taxpayers in
| Metuchen that the borough Is being
| made the goat" but when n
| gives some consideration to the
of the Chamber of Com
| merce, one must come to the realza-
ton that the assessments are any
thing but fair and equitable. There
are wide discrepancies in the assess
ments and many properties are as
sessed entirely too low in relation to
| their actual value.
The borough council claims that
| the county tax board has not pro-
ceeded legally in ordering a reas-
sessment, but if the borough coun-
| Gil will take the time TO ascertain the
| true facts of the case, 1T Will learn
that the county tax board is acting
in an informal manner in directing
the assessments be equalized n 1t
| is within its rights to verbally inform
\ Assessor Breen what he is to do in
| regard to the equalization of tax as
sessments in the borough.
The county tax board has made
| certain recommendations to MI.
| Breen in regard to the assessments
to be made this year. The county
| board believes the assessment on
| land in the borough is entirely too
low, especially on Main street. Oak
street, Hillside venue Middlesex
| avenue and Graham avenue.
1t has been suggested to MI.
| Breen that the assessment on and
| on Main street be increased to $50
| per lineal foot and that the assess
| ment on land on Hillside avenue be
increased to SIS per Ineal foot and
the same figure to be used on Mid
dlesex avenue and Graham avenue.
| Assessments on buildings were rec
commended for a. increase and II
was suggested to Mr.. Breen that the
assessments on old and new pulld-
ings be equalized.
The county tax board in its in
spection of Metuchen properties
learned that new buildings r as
sessed higher than old properties
and that the builder is actually
penalized for contributing to the
growth of the borough. The county
board learned further that some
properties on Hillside avenue and
| Oak street are assessed at $4,000.
including land and buildings, and
these same properties cannot DO
purchased for less than 100000.
Land values on Main street were
found to vary by the county board
from IS per nneal foot to $50 per
lineaI foot. There was no uniform
ity in the assessing of land in the
borough and for that reason the
county board recommended to Mr.
Breen that he increase the assess
ments and to equalize them as much
as possible.
The county tax board has mad.
a study of the tax problem in Me-
tuchen and they are intimately &C
quainted with the values and the
method used in assessing property
therein. They have gathered con-
siderable data on sales in the bor-
ough and have first hand knowledge
as to the percentage used by Mr..
Breen in making his assessments
for they have drawn comparisons
from the sales and the assessments
1t cannot be disputed that by re-
vistsg the assessments in the bor-
ough and bringing the assessments
up to around fifty per cent of the
actual value of the properties, a SUBJ
stantial increase will result in the
ratables and that a number of prop
erty n will be compelled to
pay on a higher assessment but it
must be remembered that a number
of owners of new buildings in the
borough are paying more than nifty
per cent of the value of their hold
ings.
The Chamber of Commerce Is not
DESTROYS Of seeing anyone burdened
with additional taxes but the mem
bers believe that there should be
equalization. They believe that ii
two persons own property with a
frontage of fifty feet on Hillside i've
nue. they should be assessed alike
and that one person shouldn't be as
sessed more than the other.
Il should be remembered by those
opposing the recommendation of the
county eax board that the assess
ments in Metuchen be equalized that
the county board is clothed with al
most unlimited powers and no mat
ter what the governing body of Me-
tuchen may think of the proposed
action, the county board will with
out doubt be able to carry out its
proposal of equalization of tax as
sessments in Metuchen. 1t would
seem that the borough council
should extend it's cooperation in
seeing that every taxpayer in the
borough is placed on an equal foot
ing rather than attempt to retard
the equalization plan.
The Chamber of Commerce OF the
borough has been a strong advocate
of equalization in taxes and they
have appealed to the borough faith
ers'' for their help in the matter.
The borough council refused .he
/. chamber of commerce any aid and
only as a last resort did the cham
Der of commerce carry the matter to