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Tax Budget - Treasurer's Report

1904.

Thomas Brady, Mayor-elect, Enters Office - Police Trial Board Created - Destructive Fire - Report of Librarian - Bill for Bridge Between Bergen Point and Elizabethport - Annual Tax Budget for 1904 - City Treasurer's Annual Report - New Building for Police Headquarters - Carnegie Library Opened

Mayor-elect Brady entered office at the beginning of the New Year.

By an ordinance passed January 19, and approved January 20, the first Police Trial Board was created. Egbert Seymour, Samuel Graham and John J. Cain were appointed a Police Trial Board to hear, try and determine charges preferred against members of the police force.

On January 25, fire destroyed a row of frame tenements on Avenue C and Twenty-fourth Street, and thirty-five families were made homeless. Sympathizing persons again responded and provided the destitute with shelter, food, clothing and money.

At the close of January, Miss Phoebe Ketcham, Librarian, reported that the Public Library had a total of 12,898 volumes, with 7,027 registered borrowers. The January circulation was 3,972, and for the ten years it had been in existence the total circulation had reached 382,076.

For this month the population was estimated at 43,014 by John J. Rooney, Clerk of the County Board of Health.

In the early part of March, school rooms were made in the City Hall to accommodate scholars, the schools being cramped for room.

For some time past there had been talk of having a bridge built across Newark Bay, connecting Bergen Point with Elizabethport, which, no doubt, would be beneficial to both places. Congressman Allan Benny introduced such a -bill in Congress. This was passed by the House of Representatives on April 21, 1904. At the time of writing it had not passed the Senate.

For the year ending May 1, 1904, 7,194 feet of sewers had been laid; 8 streets curbed and flagged; 12,510 feet of water pipes laid, and 19 new hydrants placed.

The annual tax budget for the year 1904, as passed by the Mayor and Council, reads as follows:

For supporting and maintaining public schools $98,596.23
For school furniture for annexes 8,000.00
For completing four rooms for School No. 4,000.00
For fences around School No. 8 1,000.00
For alteration to building now used as Workingmen's Library for use as a school 4,500.00
For interest on City of Bayonne bonds 29,524.00
For interest on Road Construction bonds 1,990.00
For interest on Refunded Road bonds 1,575-00
For interest on Funded Assessment bonds 5,900.00
For interest on Refunded Assessment bonds 16,580.00
For Sinking Fund Road Construction bonds 1,200.00
For Sinking Fund Refunded Road Construction bonds 1,050.00
For Sinking Fund Refunded Assessment bonds 10,110.00
For Sinking Fund Funded Assessment Bonds 3,540.00
For Sinking Fund Avenue D Repaving bonds 1,000.00
For Sinking Fund Library bonds 200.00
For Sinking Fund for $100,000 School bonds $2,000.00
For support of Fire Department 18,000.00
For heating public buildings and engine houses 1,500.00
For lighting public buildings and engine houses 4,000.00
For street repairs 19,000.00
For stable extensions and out-buildings 5,000.00
For books, stationery and printing 6,000.00
For contingent expenses 12,000.00
For Free Public Library 5,108.25
For concrete sidewalk for new Library 2,000.00
For Commissioner of Appeals 150.00
For Supervisor of Taxes 125.00
For Board of Health 2,500.00
For election and registry 1,000.00
For installing police signal boxes 2,500.00
For police pensions 3,025.00
For salaries of city officials 25,400.00
For salaries of Police Department 64,200.00
For police incidentals 7,657.00
For lighting streets 32,500.00
For Assessment No. 245, improvement of East
Twenty-second Street, confirmed June 3, 1897 10,000.00
For assessment on city at large for public park 5,500.00

Sec. 2. That the following sums be taken from the accumulated and current funds received for licenses for inns and taverns and restaurants and beer saloons not otherwise appropriated, and appropriated for the following purposes:

For expenses of sprinkling streets $2,000.00
For removal of garbage and ashes and incidental expenses 8,000.00
For salary of Street Commissioner $2,400.00
For support of the poor 2,000.00
For salary of Overseer of Poor 600.00
For rental of suitable premises for an armory for
Company I, Fourth Regiment, N. G. N. J 575.OO
For buildings, docks, and parks 10,000.00
For maintenance and superintendence of fire alarm system 1,500.00
For Bayonne Hospital 1,500.00
For insurance 2,500.00
For support of District Court 2,000.00

Sec. 3. Eight thousand dollars to the Surveyor's Fund for salaries of the City Surveyor and his assistants, and to pay for the use of instruments, tools, implements and materials, and all other expenses of the Surveyor's Department.

Sec. 4. One thousand dollars from the Fines and Penalties Account for the purpose of paying the salary of the Recorder's Clerk, and $540 for the purpose of paying the Court Interpreter's salary.

Sec. 5. In addition to the other taxes, there shall be assessed and collected from every male resident of the City of Bayonne, over the age of twenty-one (21) years, $1.00 as poll tax, to be applied for the purpose of supporting and maintaining the public schools.

Sec. 6. In addition to the other taxes, there shall be assessed and collected such sums as shall be apportioned by the proper officials of Hudson County against the City of Bayonne for its quota of County and State tax.

By comparing this budget with the first annual tax assessment, passed in 1869, the growth of the city can easily be apprehended.

The City Treasurer's annual report for the fiscal year ending April 30, 1904, showed the following among the disbursements:

Salaries $31,189.36
Gas 38,327-34
Newark Bay Park 3,244.33
Free Public Library S>383.2S
School land and buildings 20,009.30
Bayonne Hospital 1,500.00
City Surveyor 7,999.92
Fire Department 8,367.35
Poor 2,116.68
Street repairs 13,139.70
Police salaries 53,798.29
Police pensions 1,475.04
Garbage 7,289.72
Board of Health, 3,785.88
Buildings, docks and parks 10,540,59
N. Y. & N. J. Water Co 130,213.69
Construction (Water Fund) 33,894.69
Board of Education 171,140.00
Out of this last item the sum of $133,452.50 was used for salaries.

The Treasurer also reported the following cash balances on hand in the several funds, April 30, 1904:

Mechanics' Trust Co.

General Fund $11,466.21
Street Fund 3.324-76
School Fund 3.900-58
Funded Assessment Bonds Sinking Fund 6,711.66
Refunded Assessment Bonds Sinking Fund $5,085.89
Water Bonds Sinking Fund 719-35
Coupon Account .33

Hudson County National Bank
Improvement Fund: 12,639.98
Arrears Fund 6,615.91
Bayonne Bonds Sinking Fund 687.38
Road Construction Bonds Sinking Fund 2,441.88
Coupon Account 609.49

Bayonne Bank
Improvement Fund 5,539.98
Arrears Fund. 1,313.42

Bayonne Trust Co
Water Fund 2,751.12
Refunded Road Construction Bonds Sinking Fund. 1,567.56
Total $65,375.50

On June 21, the Common Council passed an ordinance granting permission to the New York and New Jersey Water Company to construct two water mains through the city in order to supply Staten Island. The company agreed to erect forty fire hydrants, and supply free water for fires and sprinkling. Besides this, they agreed to pay a tax of five dollars for every million gallons of water passing through to Staten Island.

At a meeting of the City fathers in the early part of August, it was thought advisable to erect a new building for Police Head-quarters. Owing to the increase in population, and the business at the City Hall, that building could not afford adequate accommodation for the city officials and their duties, apart from the officials and business of the Police Department. A site was selected at the northeast corner of Avenue C and Twenty-Sixth Street, and purchased for the sum of $3,850. The contract was awarded September 1 for the erection of a four-story brick building to cost $57,471.

On the evening of October 29, the new Carnegie Library building was formally opened with appropriate ceremonies. Speeches were made by prominent persons, and the event may be recorded as a most notable one in the history of the city.

For the year 1904, property, real and personal, amounted to $16,314,717, an increase of $989,950 over 1903.


Source: First History of Bayonne, New Jersey, by Royden Page Whitcomb, Published by R. P. Whitcomb, 24 East 37TH Street, Bayonne, N. J., 1904.

 

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