file photo by Boyd Loving
April 12,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, last night at the Ridgewood Village Council meeting the Mayor Susan Knudsen addressed the comments made in public comment and the recent article in the Bergen Record . The mayor said the Village Attorney Matt Rogers is going to put out a legal memo on any alleged impropriety in the Village of Ridgewood’s hiring practices .
She reiterated that the simple fact is “Ridgewood is a state of New Jersey Civil Service municipality,” ,meaning candidates are ranked based on standardized test results. The list exists and any one can access it . In Ridgewood the village manager is the hiring authority for the village and is required to adhere to state of New Jersey hiring regulations. Council members are prohibited from any involvement.
The mayors son’s took the civil service exam in 2013 a full year prior to the mayor running for the Village Council.
The Mayor called the allegations of nepotism a lie and a fraud being perpetrated on the Village , and not only questioned the honesty of the conspirators but also challenged the competence of attorney’s who have not read the law it self and are totally unfamiliar with New Jersey Civil Service code.
A great classy response from our Mayor. Councilman Voight continues to show his complete lack of understanding about how hiring practices work in this town and should be ashamed of himself for engaging in these cheap tricks. Maybe instead of trying to create nonissues he should focus on the actual issues facing our town. I guess when he sees his 2 new pals won’t get elected to the council, he’ll realize his days are numbered once his term runs out. Nepotism is not an issue in Ridgewood, it’s a conspiracy theory that is perpetuated by people who have no actual knowledge about what they’re talking about.
She’s calm, patient, but gutsy. Smart lady to stick up for the integrity of the departments. That’s the right way to address these Cloward/Piven Alinsky-like political attacks. It’s all so childish.
Show us the list Mayor.
Perhaps the two challengers running for Village Council should advance some ideas on what they would do to improve the Village if elected before engaging in mud slinging. There does not appear to be any substance to these two. Mrs. Knudsen and Mr Sedon have served the Village competently and honestly during their term in office. While I don’t agree with them on every issue, they have maintained a level of civility and professionalism that the two challengers completely lack. These two political wannabes are obviously surrogates of the previous Council majority that was essentially run out of town two years ago. Let’s not look back. Vote Knudsen and Sedon.
You go Susan! She is fighting a battle against lies and innuendos perpetrated by our past mayor and village manager.
As usual this is only part of the story and what’s not addressed by her or the Blog is:Knudsen did not advise the council nor did she advise the public that three of her sons were on the civil servants list. WHEN she voted on the ordinance to extend requirements for police and fire.
This is not complicated to follow people.- its not like people are ridiculing her kids for having arrests records and not disclosing that pertinent information before makthe village tax payors pay nearly a million dollars per kid when you consider health benefits for each sbd their off spring and OVER TIME.
Mayor seems to have done nothing wrong here but this is also exactly why an anti-nepotism statute is needed. It is way too easy for it to look or feel wrong even when it isnt. Now we are wasting our taxpayer dollars on Matt Rodgers making yet another ruling on this issue. They should pass an ordinance so that this doesnt happen again in the future. There is just no way to avoid this problem otherwise.
I suspect that the misguided attorney to whom she referred was the one who is running for council on a Know-Nothing, Just-Moved-Here, Using-Ridgewood-as-a-Steppingstone-to-Higher-Office-with-Aronsohn’s-Help, No-Problem-Perpetuating-Libel ticket.
Nepotism and Civil Service employment are 2 different things. The Mayor’s children are police and fire hires that require residency and rigorous testing. They scored extremely high on their exams and one son has been a volunteer fireman for years prior to his taking the exams. Jeff Voigt thinks he will be mayor if the challengers are elected. But do any of us know what they are running on? It is all very vague. Please cast your 2 votes for Knudsen and Sedon on May 8th!
3:03: running on empty?
At some point the kids would have entered into the police/ fire division, just a matter of time when if she refused herself. So let’s stop the mud slinging and let’s focus on the community.
While polite, I really don’t understand what tangible advancements the mayor has made. There is a huge gap with our relationship with the BOE, they haven’t improved the master plan, we’re don’t have any paving or a garage, the contamination under the town garage continues. The barn at habernickle is falling apart, we’re’re undecided about the ZS site We have inconsistent policies at the cbd and a difficult relationship with the owners and land lords and employees. Now we have a new issue with the fair housing and valley sites. What are the accomplishments over the last two years…. just saying
And for the other two what is their plan exactly. I have asked and their answers are not good either. And they don’t have the right level of focus and commitment or experience
We are doomed
Sad but true.
Go Susan! Voting for Sedon and Knudsen on May 8. No doubt about it
Better off with experienced council members than a couple of nincompoops who would be starting at Square One on longstanding complex issues. With them we wouldn’t have a chance. Also essential to understand what a mess this council stepped into.
@taxpayer, 6:29PM. 100% agree with you on everything you say. However I will have to vote Susan because I see a lot of danger in the other 2 candidates.It is sad that it has come to choosing for the side that does less damage than more good. Maybe we really are doomed.
6:29 susan is the only reason the master plan is being re done. They ARE revising t. With massive community involvement
3:39… shit it is two years later… open your eyes and what community, hand selected people that will nod yes….
Valdes, the Village Council has NO jurisdiction over the hiring of police and firefighters. The state provides the list of candidates based on testing and the Village Manager does the hiring. You are ignorant.
Taxpayer @6:29, please attend one of Mayor Knudsen and Deputy Mayor Sedon’s coffees asap. You’ll find that some of your assumptions/observations are completely wrong, while others lack an understanding of procedure and circumstance. You won’t be disappointed. And if by some chance you still have doubts, every question in the room was answered when I attended today. If your concern is genuine, urge you to do this..