While I am not often moved to write when you make editorial comments, the recent article posted on the One Village One Vote referendum cried out for a response. Below are my thoughts that you may publish with the proviso that I am identified as the author.
“To be clear here, 58.7% of the 13,000 voters casting a vote on this question voted to eliminate the separate vote on the school budget in April. Ridgewood voters are not “gullible” as one commentator noted. They understood what they were doing in 2020 after a vigorous educational campaign by both sides. School budgets and municipal budgets are approved by our elected officials, school board members and council members. Voters have the right to vote in other candidates when they disapprove of the Village budgets passed by their representatives. There is no “voter suppression” here when knowledgeable citizens choose to eliminate an unnecessary referendum election. No one “took away your vote” as the headline shouts.
By being one of the leaders in this successful referendum, Siobhan Winograd deserves the gratitude of the Village. The One Village One Vote initiative saved the taxpayers the cost of an annual separate meaningless vote on school budgets. Unfortunately, Mayor Knudsen caused the Village to waste time and money in a futile attempt to get courts to override the voters’ clear decision. It was wrong then and is still wrong now.
If this budget referendum was still an issue (which it is not), clearly Siobhan has already won the Village’s support.
As an aside, where are all the calls for a “budget referendum” on the municipal budget when these have frequently exceeded the theoretical 2% annual cap on property tax increases?”
Jim Morgan
140 Bellair Road
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Who cares what Jim Morgan has to say. I sure don’t. He was a pompous ass when he was a school trustee, and this commentary suggests that he is still a pompous ass.
Jim is a little sanctimonious…
Jim Morgan likes Winograd?- no surprise. Morons unite
Debating issues should be the norm. However there are too many who are lazy and have no basic understanding off the issues they must fire back w name calling to distract. Get informed.
As a former resident, who did vote on this issue, please remember that *if* the school budget did not get approved then it simply went back for minor revision and was then approved by the Village Council. So, unless residents passed the budget the first time we really had very little impact over the end result.
Last time they found $700,000 of fat. While it’s only a small % of the budget, it is NOT chump change.
So, yeah, I want to vote. And if it goes for revision, yeah, I like savings.
Jim – you are completely wrong on this issue. As is Siobhan.