July 23, 2014 • www.theobserver.com • Vol CXXVII, No. 9
COVERING: BELLEVILLE • BLOOMFIELD
Taxes up on average by $244 By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent KEARNY – Now that Trenton – even without a gubernatorial endorsement by the town’s Democratic mayor – has gifted Kearny $2.5 million in transitional aid and reduced its pension obligations by nearly $435,000, Kearny property owners can know what to expect. They’re still getting a tax increase, just not as severe as the town had feared before receiving the state’s largess. According to calculations by town CFO Shuaib Firozvi, of a total 2014 budget of $75.8 million, $40.8 million must be raised by local taxation, which is up by 3% from last year’s $39.6 million. But, because the town’s ratable base declined by about $7 million between 2013 and 2014, the actual municipal tax levy increased by about 3.74%, Firozvi said. And that, in turn, means that the owner of a house assessed at $100,000 will pay a total property tax (including municipal, school and county components) of $10,035 in 2014, which is $244 more than the $9,791 in tax paid for 2013, the CFO said. The municipal portion of the tax rate for a house assee TAX RATE page
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• EAST NEWARK • HARRISON • KEARNY • LYNDHURST • NORTH ARLINGTON • NUTLEY
State eyes raising part of Pike By Ron Leir Observer Correspondent
KEARNY – he Rt. 7/Belleville Turnpike corridor which runs through Kearny’s meadows area and beyond is getting a lot of attention these days from state and federal transit agencies. For the past couple of years, contractors hired by the state Department of Transportation have been doing patchwork repairs on the Wittpenn Bridge which carries Rt. 7 traffic over the Hackensack River between Jersey City and Kearny while, simultaneously, building a replacement span, just north of the existing bridge. Now, with part of the new bridge decking having been laid out on the Jersey City side of the river and utility work expected to start
T
Photo courtesy Mayor Alberto Santos
see PIKE page
A heavy rainstorm can easily flood the Belleville Pike, as evidenced by this image taken April 30.
Wild pursuit ends with 3 arrests LYNDHURST – It started as an alleged speeding incident and led to a frantic chase that ended in three arrests. Here’s the account given by Lyndhurst Police: Shortly after 2 p.m. on July 14, Patrol Officer James Goral pulled over a 2008 BMW
continued up to Ridge Road northbound, eventually turning west onto Valley Brook Ave. and then north onto Delafield Ave. where he encountered other patrol vehicles. Trying to avoid the officers, the driver attempted an evasive maneuver, only to lose control and came to a stop af-
traveling east on Page Ave. for exceeding the speed limit at the Schuyler Ave. intersection. As Goral approached the vehicle, however, police said the driver suddenly pulled away, made a U-turn, and headed west on Page, turning on numerous side streets. Police said the driver
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ter striking a small tree, police said. As officers ordered the occupants to exit, the driver suddenly accelerated in reverse, sideswiping and causing slight damage to one of the police vehicles, and fleeing south on Delafield, then south on Weart see CHASE page
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