The committee members who signed those advertisements and letters to the editor should also resign. As citizens they have a right to free speech. They signed those letters as advisory committee members going.
They were never an independent voice. Their mission should be defined, their minutes should be public. Otherwise they are political hacks.
All boards should have by laws and minutes.
The FAC seems like a tool of the council and not an independent body. They did not help to dispel this image when two members ran for council supported by the current council majority. Their letters to the editor in support of the council majority causes showed that they did not exercise good judgment.
Like most actions by the former mayor, this group was created for his personal purposes, in this case at least two: to rubber-stamp his decisions with a faux economic rationale (e.g., the largest garage drawing) and as a feeder group to provide a credential for placing people loyal to him in various positions that he intended to fill with sycophants (village manager, two council candidates). We have a highly paid CFO who should be doing all this work and making these recommendations. (We also have a well-paid planner, but he’s useless and should be replaced.) The two defeated council candidates, with unknown continuing ties to the outgoing council members who endorsed them, remain on the committee; disbanding it would remove them from an advisory position to the council without having to “fire” them individually. And by the way, the FAC was originally going to be a board, not a committee, which would have had more clout; the other boards are Planning and Zoning. When establishing this group was under discussion, then-councilman Tom Riche voted against it, stating that the requirements for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest were insufficient. He was right. In addition, giving a bunch of barely vetted residents access to confidential financial and other information that only the council should see just because they work in banking or whatever is another creepy-crawly. Just dump it.
Ridgewood NJ, a reader said the ,Financial Advisory Committee was created by the mayor solely as a breeding ground for future council members willing to live in his shadow and image. It didn’t work. Disband it!
The new council need a clean sweep of Village Hall and the Financial Advisory Committee which has added little to no input to Village budgeting should be eliminated.
The Financial Advisory Committee was created on April 24th 2013, resolution 14-171. The leadership of Financial Advisory Committee is there just to stamp the Village Manager’s decisions. So she can say ‘an expert panel has looked at it and they agree with my approach”. She comes from the corporate world and knows how to put everything on outside ‘consultants’.
What is the purpose of the Financial Advisory Committee? They were cheerleaders for the three council members? Populated by partisan Bergen Leeds people ,they should be neutral. So, they are not a financial advisory committee, they are nothing more than a political action committee.
The Financial Advisory Committee has been populated with political hacks and friends of the former mayor and supporters of the Village manager with their own agenda’s leaving out Village tax payers .
The Financial Advisory Committee does not even have bylaws or keep meeting minutes .Lets face it , it was beyond funny that the Chairman of FAC, was a candidate for the council election, and Weitz is not even a finance guy.
The new Council needs to be prudent but decisive in their actions. Let’s not replicate the mistakes of the past
While this blog may be correct in assuming that the finance board and the planning board are stacked with Aronsohn appointees that would approve his agenda,
there is a board that is not – the zoning board (quite possibly to Paul’s chagrin). I have been a member of this board since 2011 and can confidently state that the decisions made by it are non-partisan in nature
and most always benefit the Village and the applicant. The Chairman of this board, Joel Torielli, has done a wonderful job in ensuring the board deliberates in a fair an open manner.
It has been an absolute pleasure in working with all of them. If there is a board which operates in a manner that benefits the public it is this one. Lastly on a personal note, two of my campaign
team members, Wendy Dockray (planning board) and Sergio Alegre (zoning board and my campaign manager) work as part of the Village process and; are 2 of the most ethical people
It has taken a few years, but at this point, every committee and board in the village has been planted with people who will approve Paul, Gwenn and Albert’s agenda and will go to any length to write letters to editor or mass email to get their agenda approved.
They WILL approve it. The question is how to overturn, how much money will it cost to appeal in a higher court.
What is the purpose of the Financial Advisory Committee? They are now cheerleaders for the three council members? They should be neutral. So, they are not a financial advisory committee, they are a political action committee.
It has taken a few years, but at this point, every committee and board in the village has been planted with people who will approve Paul, Gwenn and Albert’s agenda and will go to any length to write letters to editor or mass email to get their agenda approved.
They WILL approve it. The question is how to overturn, how much money will it cost to appeal in a higher court.
FAC members don’t quit your day job:
In his first paragraph, he says, “the updated design includes removing a level”.
In his 2nd to last paragraph, he says, “I believe the current compromise is the best path forward for the Village”.
Sounds like he agrees that 3 stories, 4 levels is the compromise. I agree.
I’m signing the petition with the hope that the discussion will continue, & a compromise of 3 stories, 4 levels will become a reality, not just an incorrect statement to make people believe otherwise.
More points to add to the other day’s post on Parking Garage leding many to suggest some resume updates :
1. HPC member Tony Damiano sends a letter to fellow HPC members claiming the garage fits the lot.
2. FAC member Rich Cundiff sends mass email with multiple lies. One story shorter claim and special election claim, both are wrong.
3. Gwenn Hauck continues to post on facebook that garage will fit the lot and only sidewalk is being extended for safety reasons.
4. Village Manager lies in a facebook blog, claiming that the parapet is an aesthetics feature, while its actually required by code for using the roof level for parking
So if this FAC member did not do his due diligence before sending out an email full of lies – how do we know that they did their due diligence on the walker report/ parking garage’s financials?
Deadline Nears for Residents Seeking to Volunteer to Serve on the PLANNING BOARD AND FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Deadline for submissions is March 28, 2014.
The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Planning Board and the Financial Advisory Committee.
The Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivision applications; prepares, adopts, and amends the Master Plan; makes recommendations to the Village Council regarding amendments to developmental regulations and the official map.
The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.
All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under “Forms”), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board/committee the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:
Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Planning Board and the Financial Advisory Committee.
The Planning Board reviews site plans and subdivision applications; prepares, adopts, and amends the Master Plan; makes recommendations to the Village Council regarding amendments to developmental regulations and the official map.
The Financial Advisory Committee assists in the review and understanding of the financial considerations necessary to the operation of the Village and the Village’s preparation of the Annual and Capital Budgets; provides review, advice and recommendations to the Village Council on Village financial and budgetary matters; and prepares an annual report for the Village Council to assist the Councilmembers in their budget preparation. Members will preferably have strong finance, accounting, government and/or business backgrounds.
All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under “Forms”), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board/committee the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:
Heather Mailander
Village Clerk
Village of Ridgewood
131 North Maple Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
Readers says Financial Advisory Committee report and it contains inaccurate data, false assumptions
First of all the report does not say the village should not have a paid fire dept. I have read the Financial Advisory Committee report and it contains inaccurate data, false assumptions and more important than those it has incomplete data. The people complaining about high taxes here are only telling half of the story. You don’t hear those people complaining about the higher salaries they earn here than in other states do you? And of course they are not complaining of the high property values either especially when they are going up! By a percentage ratio N.J. residents pay a similar percentage of their homes value in property taxes when compared to other parts of the country.
The state of NJ and specifically the Village provides more services (like garbage pickup, recreation services for kids, local police & Fire services, assistance and social services for seniors, just to name a few) and an overall better quality of life for the tax dollars than most of the other states. When you look at the complete picture you see those who are complaining about property taxes are focusing on only one thing and not giving you the complete picture.
These are state averages of 2012 property tax as a percentage of home value.
New Jersey $7,318 2.32%
New Hampshire $5,230 2.18%
Connecticut $5,200 1.88%
New York $5,040 1.68%
Illinois $4,469 2.28%
Vermont $4,328 1.62%
Rhode Island $3,820 1.67%
Massachusetts $3,805 1.19%
Wisconsin $3,530 2.07%
Alaska $3,290 1.28%
The state of NJ and the Village provide more services (like garbage pickup, recreation services for kids, local police, assistance and social services for seniors) and an overall better quality of life for the tax dollars than most of the other states. When you look at the complete picture you see those who are complaining about property taxes are focusing on only one thing and not giving you the complete picture.
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