The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Governor Phil Murphy today absolute vetoed S4289, legislation that would have allowed for certain school districts to raise property taxes above the 2% cap without voter approval. If enacted, the bill would have further encumbered already over-burdened middle and working-class taxpayers.
July 1,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Assemblyman and then Senator Kevin O’Toole is leaving the Assembly for greener pastures . While we did not often see eye to eye with Mr. O’Toole we wish him the best of luck on his new endeavor .
All good things in life must come to an end…
On July 1st my time in the Legislature comes to an end as I begin my term as a Commissioner at the Port Authority. Serving as your Assemblyman and then Senator has been one of the most profound honors and privileges of my life. The trust you have placed in me to be your voice and advocate is something I will never be able to repay.
While in the Legislature for 22 years I have tried to make the most of every day in our fight to make New Jersey a better and more affordable place to live. I take great pride not just in legislative accomplishments, but more so in the little things we do every day in our office. Whether that was helping a senior with Medicare, working with utility companies so that a family’s power is not shut off, assisting flood ravaged residents in obtaining money to rebuild their homes, getting our municipal first responders fuel in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene to respond to emergencies, and countless other things, it has been an honor to serve.
I am very proud of the things we have accomplished to benefit our State and improve the lives of its residents. These include co-sponsoring legislation to reform the health/pension benefit system, implementing our 2% property tax cap, strengthening laws to protect the welfare of children from predators, mandating certain preventative medical screenings for women, supporting our veterans, and honoring those who serve to protect us every day.
While I have been your voice in Trenton, the success in achieving outcomes has not been mine alone but ours. Your correspondences over the years regarding your ideas, concerns and thoughts have brought issues to my attention and influenced me every day. It truly takes a village to achieve any success, and I am forever humbled to be in this village with you.
As I move on to the next phase of my life, I wanted you to know how appreciative I am of your support over the years. While I am leaving the Legislature, I will still be around. If there is anything I can ever do to be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone: 973-239-5700 or email: kotoole@oslaw.com.
Sincerely,
Kevin O’Toole
#DOITFIRDAKIDZ
The REA just wants more money taken from the students and extracurricular’s to pay for their average annual above inflation (and above 2% property tax cap) wage increases and “platinum” health plan benefits covering 96% of all medical benefits with $10 co-pays. Why are Ridgewood residents paying above average property taxes in Bergen County for schools to only cut spending on students to pay even more for teachers who already earn the highest average salaries in Bergen? Does this make any sense? Won’t our property values decline if our schools keep declining like they have?
