“Today’s matured residents were yesterday’s school budget voters.
I imagine today’s residents with “Support Ridgewood Teachers’ and “Yes to Full
Day Kindergarten” signs in their yards will be tommorow’s matured residents.”
… Matured resident here, not complaining, just facts. Always voted NO on the school budget, we have the same number kids/schools enrolled in the school system now as we did back then, 1970’s. Voted no on the $1 Million Budget in the 1980’s, ..fast forward, voted no on the $100 Million Budget. There’s no end. Imagine when those downtown apartments get built, how many more school age kids will add to all the systems.
… the support Ridgewood teachers crowd, won’t become the tommorow’s matured residents in Ridgewood – they’ll be long gone once their kids are done with RHS. I know several who’ve done that and many who say this now and in neighboring towns – Glen Rock.
… know many longtime retired residents now that don’t even bother to vote the BOE budgets anymore, say why bother, they get passed anyway. It only benefits the ones who were strongly encouraged to vote for it, with kids in the system. Other towns experiencing the same.
… ask any realtor how many homes in pre-forclosure, auction, foreclosure in Ridgewood, Paramus, Saddle River, in Bergen County. A large number shown on zillow listings, $1m,$2m, $3mill.houses I know a number of seniors who have big reverse mortgages to remain in their homes, even in million dollar Saddle River homes. That revolving door may get stuck when comes time to sell – who will be able to afford to buy into high taxes?
Congratulations NO voter. Unfortunately many of your neighbors voted YES.
My comment was plural, not singular.
Unfortunately in a Democracy some suffer because of the decisions of the majority.
The temporary residents that are here for 10 years vote yes…then bail out and go back to NYC when the last kid graduates
I did not vote for every budget, although I may have voted for a couple.
I have been here 30 years and will be leaving soon. Its just too expensive.
You can’t generalize. I am a senior who has lived here 40 years.
Sometimes I voted yes on school budget. Sometimes no. I voted no on the full-day kindergarten, because I don’t believe in full-day prison for little kids.
I would love to move to NYC, but can’t afford it. My house isn’t worth enough for an apt. in NYC. Those who bail out, bail out not to save money, but because they can afford to live in NYC where all the arts and fun is. Much more fun. But ya gotta have the moolah for that. It is not that we necessarily love Ridgewood.
But moving down south where I will have to in a few years , is what I can afford. Meanwhile , while I can still afford to I can at least visit NYC for various cultural events.
The main post was a generalization based on someone’s gut feel. That person sees the cycle of residents leaving when they are finished with the school and guesses about who these people are.
Many people move in retirement. Not folks just from Ridgewood.
Being on a fixed income while living in Ridgewood can be a difficult living situation.
Ridgewood Village does nothing to encourage long term residents to stay. I am not talking about senior housing. I am talking about tax breaks. Moving is mostly about the money – and somewhat about snowy winters.
6:07 am. is Probably is a realtor who doesn’t want to admit that cycle of young families do come to Ridgewood for the school system, they are not yet at retirement age when they do leave when their youngest graduates RHS to go to college. They leave because the taxes are too high. Taxes are known to be high in all Bergen County. Not guessing about who those people are, know them, past and present.
….Been here almost 50 yrs. know and have seen this cycle of home ownership change every 10 -12 yrs in my neigborhood alone, and each new young homeowner has said that is what they will do also,,, here all the way to RHS, then leave!!! Very few might stay on. Some later families, rent an apartment just to enroll in RHS because of special course offerings that other towns don’t have. The longtime owners stay as long as they can, till they either go on to a nursing home or home care. And yes, some matured seniors, not all, do move on when retired, either for financial reasons or climate.
10:54 am. “Unfortunately in a Democracy some suffer because of the decisions of the majority.” Not always true, in 2010 many of my neighbors and the majority voted No, and Ridgewood taxpayers got screwed when they defeated the $84.9 million school budget.
Votes: 2,639 NO,,, 2,537 Yes…It was rejected by the voters, but the council ONLY CUT a measly $100,000 from the $84.9 Million budget. You wonder why bother to vote on BOE budgets when your vote don’t count anyway. ? See attached link,
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/nyregion/28schools.html
Oh, let’s build a massive parking garage, build 4 or 5 oversized apartment buildings in town, build a water park for Graydon, build a performing arts theater, renovate the library, did I miss anything else?
I’d feel better about voting yes for the school budget if the sandbaggers left and/or tenure was eliminated. Parents, check you kid’s teacher’s Facebook pages. Some are reminiscent of Soviet-era propaganda. To the good and decent teachers out there, you need to call out your angst-filled contemporaries for what they are – envious, socialist, and whiny grubbers.
6:07 am. is Probably is a realtor who doesn’t want to admit that cycle of young families do come to Ridgewood for the school system, they are not yet at retirement age when they do leave when their youngest graduates RHS to go to college. They leave because the taxes are too high. Taxes are high in all Bergen County. Not guessing about who those people are, know them past and present.
….Been here almost 50 yrs. know and have seen this cycle of home ownership change every 10 -12 yrs in my neigborhood alone, and each new young homeowner has said that is what they will do also,,, here all the way to RHS, then leave! Some later familys rent an apartment just to enroll in RHS because of special course offerings that other towns don’t have. Very few might stay on. The longtime owners stay as long as they can, till they go on to a nursing home or home care.And yes, some matured seniors, not all, do move on when retired, either for financial reasons or climate.
10:54 am. “Unfortunately in a Democracy some suffer because of the decisions of the majority.” Not always true, in 2010 many of my neighbors and the majority voted No, and Ridgewood taxpayers got screwed when they defeated the $84.9 million school budget.
Votes: 2,639 NO, 2,537 Yes. It was rejected by the voters, but the council ONLY CUT a measly $100,000 from the $84.9 Million budget. One wonders why bother to vote on BOE budgets when your vote don’t count anyway. ? See attached link,
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/nyregion/28schools.html
Oh, let’s build a massive parking garage, build 4 or 5 oversized apartment buildings in town, build a water park for Graydon, build a performing arts theater, renovate the library, did I miss anything?
A number of commenters do not seem to have noticed that the school board decided not to let us vote on their budget any more.