>BOE Elections are off to the Races 
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

(RIDGEWOOD-NJ) Incumbents on the Ridgewood BOE will face two challengers for both seats this April .By the filing deadline on Monday at 4 p.m., incumbent Bob Hutton, current board vice president, will be running against Jim Morgan for a one-year term and appointee Vince Loncto, who took Charlie Riley’s place after he resigned during the fall, will contend for a three-year term against Gina Damasco.

Bob Hutton a longtime member of the BOE and many feel a strong voice of Village Sports groups claims he wants to stay on to finish working out a new contract with the teacher’s union. While we have heard all this before, past discourse despite all the hype has lead to significant giveaways to the union and diminished input from parents  .As regular readers know the district has been at an impasse with the teachers union since the contract expired last July. A budgeted increase of 2 percent has been targeted for the 2012-2013 school year.

James Morgan, who has become regular at BOE meetings, and a name for himeself as an outspoken critic of the BOE on many issues. A neighbor of Ridgewood  High school , like many Morgan has questioned the decision to turf the high school fields in a flood zone. Morgan has also pressed the BOE for  more “thorough” and “open” budget examinations. Morgan was formerly the CFO of a broadcasting company and has previously sought an appointment to the seat once held by Charlie Reilly.

Damasco, is an attorney and a Ridgewood High School graduate.She will be running against Loncto for a three-year term. A resident of North Maple Ave., Damasco claims to have lead a successful opposition to the village’s push to place a large cell phone tower at fire headquarters on East Glen.

Loncto, like Morgan is a retired CFO, and has been on the board of education since November. Loncto pledged more open budget when he applied for the appointed seat. Loncto has been a resident since 1995 and has five children.

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