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Ridgewood Sues Valley Hospital to Strip it of its Tax Exempt Status

Valleywood theridgewoodblog.net 1
April 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Finally the Village of Ridgewood has now joined over two dozen other municipalities, including Teaneck, Englewood, Wayne, Paterson, Pequannock and North Bergen challenging the tax exempt status of their local hospital .

According to the Bergen Record ,”Valley’s 15 1/2-acre main campus would owe about $4.5 million in taxes if it were fully assessed, according to Michael Barker, the village tax assessor.”

Since a landmark ruling in 2015 stripped Morristown Medical Center of its property-tax exemption. Many towns in New Jersey have begun looking into stripping local non profit hospitals of their tax exempt status and for Ridgewood its about time !

Lets face it for many years Valley hospital have enjoyed the services that the Village of Ridgewood has provide to them. For example police and fire response to alarms, thefts investigation altercation.

Many readers do know that when other towns bring someone to the hospital they do not stay with the patient. If the patient becomes combative or unruly the Ridgewood police have to respond and remain until the situation is resolved.

Although not well publicized, theft from patients, Doctors and Valley Hospital do occur with some frequency. These incidents are investigated by the Ridgewood Police and are added to the reported crime statistics of Ridgewood.
The fact that Valley Hospital feels that they need to” Renew” or expand indicates that the response of the police and fire will only increase. If indeed Valley Hospital feels that they are part of the community then why not pay their fair share. Why would the Village of Ridgewood have to sue them for taxes .
It is time that all parties should sit down and settle this as a real community partners.  The Village and the hospital would gain more credibility if this was done in transparent and fair way. Maybe it is time to put the past aside and make Valley a real partner in the community.