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Mail carrier from Ridgewood sentenced to home confinement in fraud scheme

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Mail carrier from Ridgewood sentenced to home confinement in fraud scheme

JANUARY 7, 2015, 6:13 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015, 6:13 PM
BY STEPHANIE AKIN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

A mail carrier from Ridgewood who accepted bribes to help members of a fraud ring steal more than $2 million in federal tax refunds was sentenced Wednesday to eight months of home confinement and three years of supervised release.

Lourdes Ortiz, 41, was among seven people charged in 2013 in connection with the scheme, which involved using fake identities to get tax refunds and then diverting the checks from postal routes. She was recruited by another mail carrier, Gloria Rivera, to intercept checks in Flushing, Queens, according to court documents. Rivera, of the Bronx, was also sentenced Wednesday.

Ortiz told U.S. Judge Faith S. Hochberg that she regretted her role in the scheme.

“I was just caught up in the moment, I guess,” she said in U.S. District Court in Newark.

Ortiz was granted a lighter sentence than the others charged because she was the lowest person in the conspiracy, Hochberg said from the bench. The sentence was also crafted to allow Ortiz to keep her job babysitting two children, Hochberg said.

The scheme, described in court documents as a classic type of fraud, started with co-conspirators who used fake security numbers and other personal information to file 1040 forms declaring fraudulent earnings and taxes withheld.

The co-conspirators, all of whom were not identified in court documents, bribed mail carriers, including Ortiz and Rivera, to get the resulting refund checks. The checks were eventually deposited in bank accounts controlled by people higher up in the conspiracy, and some of the money was used to buy cars and gamble at Atlantic City casinos.

The checks were cashed through bank accounts set up for newly-formed businesses incorporated by four of the other defendants in New Jersey and New York.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/mail-carrier-from-ridgewood-sentenced-to-home-confinement-in-fraud-scheme-1.1187526
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Reader says The Village Council and the Planning Board need to step up and make decisions that are in the best interest of a vibrant and healthy village.

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file photo Boyd Loving

Reader says The Village Council and the Planning Board need to step up and make decisions that are in the best interest of a vibrant and healthy village.
The Citizens For a Better Ridgewood (CBR) website states that the group:

-Favors economic growth for our downtown
-Favors new housing that is appropriate in scale
-Favors new housing designated for empty nesters and special needs residents, where there is an established need
-Favors new parking solutions that support commerce
-Favors more open space and athletic fields for our youth sports

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That all sounds good. But, their public actions suggest different agendas, at least for some of the founders. Specifically, they have opposed ALL new multi-family housing projects in Ridgewood, regardless of “scale”. Clearly, we don’t need all three of the proposed developments in town. But, it is also clear that one or two of the proposed housing projects would benefit economic growth in the CBD and would help advance the parking solution in town. It is also clear that the most desirable projects would be those that are moderate in overall size, with high-end units that cater to young professional couples or empty nesters, who wish to downsize. Such projects would have less impact on our infrastructure and schools than when families with children move into existing homes in Ridgewood as empty nesters leave town each year, when their children graduate from RHS.

So, why doesn’t the CBR come out and publicly endorse one of the proposed projects? Or, if they support a specific project, but would like to see minor modifications, why don’t they tell us which project and what modifications they recommend?

The reason is that they don’t really want ANY new multi-family housing! Why? Two reasons… which the Ridgewood News has been remiss in reporting and the CBR has failed to disclose.

1) Amy Bourque is one of the founders of the CBR and is its most vocal advocate. Her family is the long-standing owner an existing multi-family housing development that would be most adversely impacted by ANY new multi-family housing in Ridgewood. This is a major conflict of interest that she should have disclosed long ago. Her failure to do so openly raises serious questions about her motivations.

2) Several CBR supporters have repeatedly and publicly expressed concern that new multi-family housing will attract more foreign families to Ridgewood, who wish to take advantage of our school system for a few years, potentially with an inappropriate number of family members or more than one family in a single unit. This concern was clearly expressed at a recent public meeting. However, the press inexplicably glossed over the comment.

The debate over multi-family housing projects has gone on for far too long in Ridgewood. We need SOMETHING. The Village Council and the Planning Board need to step up and make decisions that are in the best interest of a vibrant and healthy village. Perhaps a little honesty from those who have been stalling the debate out would help residents understand the CBR’s real motivations and allow the Village to move forward.

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PSE&G Responds to Cold Weather Challenges

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file photo Boyd Loving

PSE&G Responds to Cold Weather Challenges
January 7th 2015

NEWARK, NJ – With frigid weather gripping the region, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is monitoring its gas system and taking steps to ensure it can meet the demands of customers. These steps include maintaining and adjusting pressure at various points in our system.The utility also has extra personnel on hand to respond as quickly as possible and handle emergency requests. Both PSE&G’s appliance service business and call centers are prepared to respond to an influx of customer “no heat” calls as temperatures remain extremely low during the next few days.“Since Tuesday, we have received about 2,500 ‘no heat’ calls from customers,” said Mike Schmid, director-appliance service. “We have all available technicians on hand to respond to these service requests as quickly as possible. Customers also should be aware that although their heating systems may be working properly, the frigid temperatures are making it difficult to maintain the same thermostat setting.”

PSE&G offers the following tips to stay warm and safe during this current cold snap:

Seal up openings around and under doors and windows
Close and latch your windows
Lower thermostats serving unused rooms
Close dampers in unused fireplaces
Move furniture and drapes away from heating registers, radiators, and baseboard element covers
Remove or cover window air conditioners to reduce drafts. Install insulated or lined drapes on your windows
Open your curtains and blinds that face the sun on sunny days to warm your home, and close them at night to keep the warm air inside
Keep your garage door closed, if the garage is attached to the house
Check for sufficient water levels in the sight glass for steam heating systems to ensure maximum efficiency
Clean or replace the furnace filter on hot air heating systems

FOR SAFETY’S SAKE

Be cautious when using space heaters.  Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions and heed warning labels. Be sure all members of the household understand how to operate space heaters safely.
Don’t try to use a gas oven or range to heat a room – the appliance will deplete oxygen from the air, causing asphyxiation or deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) — an invisible, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating gas — is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States.  Natural gas, oil, propane, coal or wood all produce CO.
The first line of defense against CO poisoning is to make sure all your fuel-burning appliances operate and are maintained properly.  These appliances include gas and oil furnaces, water heaters, gas ranges, space heaters, and gas clothes dryers.  Improperly vented fireplaces and charcoal grills can also give off CO.
Invest in carbon monoxide detectors as back-up protection, not as a substitute for proper use and maintenance of the fuel-burning appliances.  CO alarms can provide an early warning to consumers before CO builds up to a dangerous level.  The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends placing a carbon monoxide alarm in every area of the house. If just one alarm is installed, it should be placed near the sleeping rooms of the house.  If you already have one, remember to check the batteries regularly.
Be safe around natural gas. If you smell a weak gas odor, check the pilot lights and burner valves on your gas appliances. Open doors and windows to let in fresh air. Call PSE&G immediately.  If the odor is strong, get out of the building immediately and call PSE&G from a nearby phone. Do not use the phone in the building or any electrical equipment, including electric switches and thermostats, because they can make sparks and cause a fire. Do not use matches, or light a gas appliance. If you are outdoors and smell gas, call PSE&G immediately at 1-800-880-PSEG (7734).

KEEP YOUR GAS METER AND APPLIANCE VENTS CLEAR OF SNOW AND ICE
You can help keep your natural gas supply flowing by keeping your meter free of snow and ice. If you are a natural gas customer whose gas meter is on the outside of your home or business, please take the following precautions:

Clear snowdrifts away from the meter and piping.
Do not pile snow on top of the gas meter or around its connecting piping when you are shoveling your premises.
Brush snow from the meter and piping before a thick layer of ice builds up.
Clear snow from dryer vents to prevent fumes from backing up into your house.

IF YOUR METER IS SCHEDULED TO BE READ
While we always try to obtain an actual reading, occasionally it’s necessary to estimate a reading to ensure the safety of our employees. Ways that you can help us keep our employees safe and avoid estimated bills:

Ensure walkways and entrance ways are cleared of snow and ice.
Ensure a clear pathway to the meter.
Secure pets while meters are being read.
Utilize our Record-a-Reading option or enter your reading on-line via the PSE&G website on www.pseg.com.

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WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST THIS MORNING.

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WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST THIS
MORNING…

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
350 AM EST THU JAN 8 2015

…DANGEROUSLY COLD AIR ACROSS THE REGION…

…WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM EST THIS
MORNING…

* LOCATIONS…INTERIOR SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT…THE LOWER HUDSON
VALLEY…AND INTERIOR NORTHEASTERN NEW JERSEY.

* HAZARD TYPES…DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS.

* WIND CHILL READINGS…AS LOW AS 18 BELOW.

* IMPACTS…THE FRIGID CONDITIONS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE
VENTURING OUTSIDE. PROLONGED EXPOSURE MAY CA– USE FROSTBITE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS…MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND
GLOVES.

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McConnell promises dramatic change , putting the Senate back to work

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McConnell promises dramatic change , putting the Senate back to work

By Alexander Bolton

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told colleagues on the first full day of the new Congress to expect a dramatic change from his predecessor, Democratic leader Harry Reid (Nev.).

He pledged to decentralize power in the Senate, which had become concentrated in Reid’s office during the past eight years of Democratic rule.

“It’s time to change the business model,” McConnell said in his first lengthy speech on the floor as majority leader. “We need to return to regular order. We need to get committees working again. We need to recommit to a rational, functional appropriations process.”

He promised to “open up the legislative process” to allow senators on both sides of the aisle more opportunity to offer and vote on amendments.

That approach will mean working long weeks and later hours, he warned.

“But restoring the Senate is the right thing to do. And it’s the practical thing to do,” he said.

McConnell said the nation has lost faith in government and no longer trusts Washington.

https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/228746-mcconnell-promises-dramatic-change

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Boehner and House GOP Regroup After Tumultuous Speaker Election

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Boehner and House GOP Regroup After Tumultuous Speaker Election

By Matt Fuller and Emma DumainPosted at 5:39 p.m. on Jan. 6

After the election of John A. Boehner to a third term as speaker Tuesday, House Republicans start the 114th Congress in a similar fashion to the 113th: Conservatives are unhappy with leadership and leadership’s not too pleased with some conservatives.

Tuesday’s floor vote insurrection wasn’t particularly close — Boehner won re-election with 216 of the 408 votes cast. But in a strong statement of protest, 25 Republicans voted for someone else or voted present. (On the Democratic side, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi received 164 Democratic votes, with four members of her party voting for someone other than the California Democrat.)

The 25 Boehner rebels — a mix of familiar conservative foes, some GOP freshmen and a few Republicans who typically vote with Boehner but broke rank on the speaker vote — sent a message to Boehner and Republicans in general that the conference is not unified, despite the massive gains the speaker has overseen as the House’s No. 1 Republican since 2006.

In his remarks after retaking the speaker’s gavel, Boehner expressed hope for a renewed era of cooperation and congressional productivity.

“They say nothing’s going to be accomplished here, that the division is wider than ever, and so the gridlock will be even greater,” Boehner said. “And frankly: Fair enough. Skepticism of our government is healthy, and in our time, quite understandable.

“But one problem with saying, ‘It can’t be done,’ is that it already has been done, or at least started,” he continued.

Boehner said that, as speaker, all he asked for and expected was for members to “disagree without being disagreeable.” He eventually shed some of his characteristic tears as he talked about planting seeds for congressional achievements, cultivating the ground and “tak[ing] care of the pests.”

But the proverbial pests who have long prevented Boehner’s legislative harvest had a different message: That it was time for Boehner to go. And even though they were unsuccessful in that endeavor, Republicans sent a signal to leadership — 25 dissidents was certainly more than most in the Capitol expected.

https://blogs.rollcall.com/218/boehner-and-house-gop-regroup-after-tumultuous-speaker-election/?dcz=

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Break in Old Paramus Church Shooting :Ridgewood man charged with possession of drugs, ammunition

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At approximately 11:15 am on Sunday December 28th the Ridgewood Police Department was called to the Old Paramus Reformed Church on E. Glen Avenue on a report of damage to the property from what they believed to be gun shots. Upon arrival to the Church, officers observed damage to the Church which was caused by a firearm. The detective bureau and the Bergen County Crime Scene Investigation Unit were contacted to collect evidence and begin an investigation. The time frame of the incident has been determined to be the early morning hours of December 26. There are no known motives or threats received by the Church or the Pastor. Ridgewood Police 

Break in Old Paramus Church Shooting :Ridgewood man charged with possession of drugs, ammunition

JANUARY 7, 2015, 5:07 PM    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015, 5:07 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

RIDGEWOOD — Police have arrested a 23-year-old village resident on possession of drugs and ammunition.

Working with units from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, Ridgewood officers executed a search warrant on Tuesday at the Pershing Avenue residence of Alex Norrell.

Police searching the home discovered an unspecified amount of marijuana along with some drug paraphernalia, authorities said.

Officers also found ammunition inside the home. But when reached Wednesday for details, Ridgewood Police Chief John Ward refused to talk about how much or what kind of ammunition was seized.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-man-charged-with-possession-of-drugs-ammunition-1.1187494

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N.J. Rep. Scott Garrett bucks House Republican leadership in vote for speaker

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N.J. Rep. Scott Garrett bucks House Republican leadership in vote for speaker
By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett, New Jersey’s most conservative member of Congress, voted against John Boehner for House speaker, separating himself from most House Republicans.

Garrett (R-5th Dist.) voted instead for Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.,) , who was one of several alternatives offered instead of Boehner. Some of the opposition was driven by those House Republicans who want to be more confrontational with President Obama.

“With a new Republican majority in the Senate, a large number of my constituents have called on me to demand new leadership in the House,” Garrett said in a statement after the vote “I hear you, and I agree.”

Boehner (R-Ohio) who has been speaker since Republicans regained control of the House in 2011, was re-elected today with 216 votes. Webster had 12. A scattering of votes went to other Republicans. Most Democrats backed their leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Few lawmakers vote against their leaders, who can retaliate by denying coveted committee assignments, refusing to bring their bills up for votes, and decline to raise or contribute money to their campaigns.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/01/garrett_bucks_house_republican_leadership_in_vote_for_speaker.html

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The average college freshman reads at 7th grade level

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The average college freshman reads at 7th grade level

Maggie LitReporter@MaggieLitCROon Jan 06, 2015 at 10:47 AM EDT

Renaissance Learning found that the average book assigned for summer reading at college has a seventh-grade reading level.

Most college textbooks and reading material written before 1970 require mature reading skills according to Arkansas Prof. Emerita Sandra Stotsky.

The average U.S. college freshman reads at a seventh grade level, according to an educational assessment report.

“We are spending billions of dollars trying to send students to college and maintain them there when, on average, they read at about the grade 6 or 7 level, according toRenaissance Learning’s latest report on what American students in grades 9-12 read, whether assigned or chosen,” said education expert Dr. Sandra Stotsky.

Stotsky, a Professor Emerita at the University of Arkansas, served on the Common Core Validation Committee in 2009-10, during which she called the standards “inferior.” She claimed the Common Core left out the very standards needed to prepare students for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers.

“The average reading level for five of the top seven books assigned as summer reading by 341 colleges using Renaissance Learning’s readability formula was rated 7.56 [meaning halfway through seventh grade],” Stotsky told Breitbart Texas.

The study also found that most high school graduates don’t do much with mathematics past eighth-grade compared to students in other high-achieving countries.

In addition, the lack of “difficulty and complexity” found in high school reading material is indicative of what colleges can assign to students once they enter higher education and professors aren’t requiring incoming students read at a college level.

https://campusreform.org/?ID=6174

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Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statements on the Paris terror attack , the 114th Congress and leadership in the House

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Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statements on the Paris terror attack , the 114th Congress and leadership in the House 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement , “Today’s terrorist attack in Paris is yet another tragic reminder that not everyone in the world respects human life, liberty, and dignity. The United States and its allies must always be vigilant and stand up to extremism both here and abroad. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the French community as they mourn this terrible tragedy.”

Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) Takes Oath for 114th Congress ,“It is a privilege and honor to work for the people of New Jersey’s Fifth District in our nation’s capital.  My top priorities this term will continue to be reining in government spending, fighting for lower taxes, and ensuring the federal government works for all Americans—not the other way around.  The people of New Jersey have put their trust in me to represent them in the House, and I promise to serve them faithfully.”

Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after voting for Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) for Speaker of the House:

“With a new Republican majority in the Senate, a large number of my constituents have called on me to demand new leadership in the House.  I hear you, and I agree.  Accordingly, I support Representative Daniel Webster for the role of Speaker of the House.”

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RIDGEWOOD REC WINTER SESSION – RETURNING FAVORITES AND NEW PROGRAMS AT THE STABLE

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WINTER RECREATION ACTIVITIES – Time to Sign Up

RIDGEWOOD REC WINTER SESSION – RETURNING FAVORITES AND NEW PROGRAMS AT THE STABLE

Registration is underway for Winter Session with Ridgewood Parks and Recreation at the Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue.

Several classes return with fun new projects while a few new enrichment classes are added.

Preschool offerings include Garden Arts for Kids, Mini Doodler and My First Art.

Elementary enrichment programs include Drawing and/or Acrylics with Mrs. C, 3D Sculpture with Abrakadoodle, “Let’s Go Green” with Explore Science Inc., Creative Cooking with Education Explorers and Tech Titans with Education Explorers.

Adult classes include Watercolors and Acrylics. (Information/details for adult and senior programs at the Community Center to follow).

Visit the Recreation Homepage at www.ridgewoodnj.net/recreation where you will find all program details and registration forms which may be

downloaded. You will also be able to link to Community Pass for online registration.

Please call the Stable Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 with any questions or if special accommodations are needed. New program suggestions are always welcome.

Please be sure to bookmark the Recreation homepage on your computer for easy access to updated program and special event information.

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Village Searches for Garden Maintenance

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Village Searches for Garden Maintenance

NOTICE: RFP for Garden Maintenance – Due 1/28/15

Request for Proposals

Request for proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood’s Department of Parks and Recreation, up to 3:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, for the following:

GARDEN MAINTENANCE – PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Proposal instructions may be obtained from the Department of Parks and Recreation, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., telephone 201-670-5560, by

Email request to [email protected]. Prospective professional responders requesting proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration.

Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Proposals may be submitted prior to the due date in person or by mail, addressed to the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the proposal opening.

Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the responder thereon and endorsed, “Garden Maintenance – Parks and Recreation Department”.

All professional service responders are required to comply with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration of Public Contractors), N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq. (Contract Compliance and Equal Employment Opportunities in Public Contracts).

The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informalities or to accept a proposal which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty-days (60) after the date and time set for the opening of bids.

“Professional Responders are required to comply with the requirements of P.L.1975, C. 127. (NJAC 17:27) regarding Affirmative Action, and Executive Order No. 11246 regarding equal employment opportunity, as amended”.

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This Ridgewood chef lived homeless, on the streets of Paterson

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This Ridgewood chef lived homeless, on the streets of Paterson

DECEMBER 31, 2014    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY STEVE JANOSKI
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Vaughn Crenshaw always loved to cook. It is in his blood, he said — everyone in his family knows how to “put flavors together.” But from the moment he saw Emeril Lagasse’s cooking show at age 9, he knew the kitchen was his calling.

Four years later, however, he was living on the streets of Paterson, sleeping in an abandoned Volkswagen hatchback on Van Houten Street, hustling and selling drugs just to get by.

“It was a little two-door wagon, a blue joint,” he said. “I remember that like it was yesterday. It was hard to stay clean, my clothes were extremely dirty, and I became very upset with anybody who looked at me wrong. I became very aggressive. I felt like nobody wanted me.”

His future — if there was to be one — was bleak.

Things are different today. Sporting a shaved head and perfectly coiffed goatee, Crenshaw, 29, is the executive chef at Pearl Restaurant in Ridgewood. He lives in Hackensack with his wife of three months, Erica, and listens to jazz and plays basketball. He teaches conversions — how to use math the way a chef does — at the Paterson Adult and Continuing Education school, and is often involved in food drives in his old hometown.

https://www.northjersey.com/food-and-dining-news/dining-news/this-ridgewood-chef-lived-homeless-on-the-streets-of-paterson-1.1183573

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N.J.’s incentives to Mercedes couldn’t offset cost of doing business

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N.J.’s incentives to Mercedes couldn’t offset cost of doing business

JANUARY 6, 2015, 11:21 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015, 11:28 PM
BY HUGH R. MORLEY AND LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD

New Jersey “worked tirelessly” for months to persuade Mercedes-Benz USA to stay in Montvale, the car company said Tuesday, including several meetings and calls between Governor Christie and company CEO Stephen Cannon and a last-ditch offer three days ago.

The state wielded an arsenal of incentive programs that were revamped just over a year ago to enable New Jersey to award more generous tax breaks that would counter the high cost of doing business in the state.

Yet the state’s effort fell short, rebuffed by the reality that even the heavily fortified programs – which enabled New Jersey in 2014 to award about $2 billion in breaks – couldn’t negate the high cost of doing business in the state, and the lure of Atlanta, where the company said Tuesday it will move its heaN.J.’s incentives to Mercedes couldn’t offset cost of doing business

JAdquarters.

While critics immediately suggested that the German car giant’s departure announcement showed the redundancy of the state’s strategy of offering big-dollar tax breaks, state officials dismissed that suggestion.

Michael Drewniak, a spokes­man for Christie, said the governor “took a direct role in trying to keep Mercedes-Benz USA in New Jersey.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-s-incentives-to-mercedes-couldn-t-offset-cost-of-doing-business-1.1186968

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Readers debate long term sustainability on the Village Budget of employee wages, pensions and healthcare

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Readers debate long term sustainability on the Village Budget of employee wages, pensions and healthcare 

Lets focus on the numbers , the problem and the solutions , not attacking unions or employees

When less than a 100 current employees and retirees consume over 50% of the Village’s annual budget in wages, pensions and healthcare, you have to question whether that’s an appropriate trade-off in a Village with only 25,000 people ? The BoE is similar, why should under 1,000 teachers and administrators (less than 4% of our Village population) consume 65% of our annual property taxes? It’s only going to get worse.

I was able to find a copy of the Village Budget Newsletter for the 2014 budget at the following link.

https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2014BudgetNews.pdf

According to this document, which is provided by our Village Manager, the Village has a combined total annual budget of $46.2 million. Out of the $46.2 Million, the Police Department budget expenses are $9.6 Million (20.78%) and the Fire Department is $8.2 Million (17.5%). Combined, Public Safety amounts to $17.8 Million dollars or 38.529% of the annual budget. I can’t help but wonder why you chose to exclude the Debt Service of $4.8 Million from your calculations. By doing so you create the illusion that the overall costs for Public Safety are higher than they actually are in reality.

If you’d read the Budget Newsletter you would have noticed that, excluding the $4.8mn in debt service which we have to pay as a Village in 2014, police, fire and emergency service wages & benefits consumes $19mn of what’s left of the Village budget, or half of the budget… spent on less than 100 active employees plus retirees. The Village municipal employees and retirees number far more than just public safety employees and retirees, and yet Public safety contractual salary increases represent more than half of total salary increases of $900K+ in 2014, and that doesn’t include unfunded liabilities (future retirement payouts to police & fire) of $7.1M (against a reserve of $479K). We had to lay off 10% of the Village workforce in 2010 just to keep feeding this beast, and that has led to a reduction in Village services for all Villagers. That’s a poor trend for Villagers

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