The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
Deliver subpar services at extraordinary costs long enough and the masses will accept that normal and attack those who expect excellence. At 40k a year taxes I expect more. As an example it is actually now cheaper for us to get a non resident glen rock train station sticker and park there
For the first time in 32 yrs. we are starting to question why we are staying here. High taxes, no kids in school, watching services go south( have you ever seen the corner of Linwood and Maple look that bad on Mothers Day, or Ben Franklin the morning after it is used by whoever the night before ?)the garbage political games, developers going nuts (along with a non profit), etc. It was once the positives far outweighed the negatives as this being a top notch town in which to live; unfortunately, that gap has narrowed substantially.
Ridgewood has room for ‘beneficial change’
JANUARY 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2015, 12:30 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
‘There is room for beneficial change’
To the editor:
For four years now – two as a resident observer and two as a consultant to the Enclave development – I have been following the dialogue around developing luxury residential units in Ridgewood’s downtown. The process will conclude in the next month or so with a vote at the Planning Board on amending the master plan to allow greater density for residential on four underutilized sites including two former car dealerships.
It has been fascinating to see this process unfold in my town after providing services to developers in similar scenarios over the last 30 years. The most common opposition to these plans comes under the umbrella of “Ridgewood is Different.” Yes, we’ve somehow persuaded ourselves to say it with a capital “D” and that is why this process, which should have taken no more than six months and been an exercise in information and logic, instead has dragged in for six years and tangled us in an unnecessarily wrenching dialogue.
The testimony from the developer’s side has been about what you’d expect – perhaps more intense in response to the opposition, but professional and comprehensive. The testimony from the village planner has been conclusive as to the planning issues: there is not better solution for these sites than what has been proposed if benefits are measured against impacts and if professional planning standards are imposed. Truly a masterful job was performed that the village should take pride in.
Where this process has had its breakdowns is not in its structure, which is part of well-established law. The hallmark of this process has been disingenuousness and political messaging – neither of which is appropriate when such critical issues as the village’s strategy to protect the viability of its downtown and its affordable housing obligation are at stake.
Our school populations are falling and even the most dire predictions of added school children have been called a non-issue by the school superintendant. The traffic consultant assures us that impacts from the proposed developments are less than previous uses and less than other options. The planner has worked to prevent additional sites from being subject to unwanted development.
And yet my friends – on the podium and in the audience – who don’t want the development are accusing developers of lying and village professionals of malfeasance. And they also are intimidating my other friends, who would like to move a parent into a nice apartment downtown or move there themselves when their housing needs change – from expressing their opinions by intimating social consequences.
Really people? It’s time to accept that on the edges of our own “Ridgewood is Different” visions and biases – and despite some downright racial prejudices that we very unexpectedly saw emerge – there is room for beneficial, if imperfect, change. When the Planning Board asks for your public comment, try and not use the capital D to Denigrate or Destruct; it should mean Distinguished.
Ron Simoncini
Ridgewood
Reader says I moved here because it’s safe and has a great school system
ridgewood’s median income is roughly 3Xs (that’s 300% again for the mathematically challenged) the national average and we only pay 29% more on services. what’s the original poster’s argument? we should pay less for teachers? i don’t think so…i moved here because it’s safe and has a great school system…so far i have been pleased on both fronts and happy to pay for it (even if i have to pay more)
i live the same distance from the firehouse (in ridgewood) as the people whose house just burned down (in midland park). My son choked on an apple a few years ago, they were there in 2 minutes. The house burns in midland park and that firehouse doesn’t get called for 15 mins because the midland park fire chief wanted his volunteer force to run it…i’ll take our current services, thank you very much
stop complaining about paying more for better service and please keep using inaccurate data to make your argument
Ridgewood set to introduce municipal budget with flat taxes
APRIL 21, 2014, 8:36 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014, 8:36 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — For a second successive year, village property owners are likely to see no increase in their annual municipal taxes.
When it meets Wednesday night, the Village Council is expected to introduce a $46.4 million 2014 spending plan that once again keeps taxes flat.
During a budget session on Monday, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said those living in homes with an average assessed value of $688,000 will pay $3,959 in taxes to support municipal services during this calendar year.
But Sonenfeld — recently installed as Ridgewood’s top administrator — stressed “longer-term conversations” need to happen to cut future operating costs while improving government services.
Sonenfeld said she cut as much from the budget as possible and that sweeping structural shifts were needed going forward.
The 2014 budget, she noted, includes expenses from 2013 not initially outlined in the budget adopted by the council a year ago.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-set-to-introduce-municipal-budget-with-flat-taxes-1.1000272#sthash.4PlOfhGo.dpuf
While there has historically been a strong link between rising property prices and local property taxes, the link has broken down badly when property prices decline. Assessed property values in Ridgewood have declined from $802K in 2008 to $687K in 2013, or -3% per year, and yet the municipal budget grew +3.55% on average between 2008~2012 (2013 was 0%).
There are lots of reasons why our property taxes have grown despite declining assessed values (contractual promises, state mandates, cuts in state & federal aid, parking meter theft, etc), but shouldn’t we align our expenses with our revenues ? That’s what every responsible household does, why don’t we expect the same of our public officials ?
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.
file photo Boyd Loving
Village services should be shared
Monday February 17, 2014, 11:42 AM
The Ridgewood News
Village services should be shared
0Wilkin Santana
To the editor:
As per current village ordinance, the police department table of organization calls for 30 patrol officers.
It is my opinion, a council’s public safety committee should have heard in advance about the intention of the police chief to extend an offer of employment to two individuals, especially when one of them, as reported by the media, is related to a former councilman and mayor and this action will increase the table of organization as per village code. All legal, ethical and managerial considerations should be first made at the village council’s committee level before attempting to support a last minute retroactive amendment to the code. There are legal, cost, ethical and managerial implications to increasing the size of any department.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/245838171_Letter__Village_services_should_be_shared.html#sthash.673b9oDf.dpuf
Readers play the blame game with higher taxes and less services
I’m not sure how linking a property tax increase to snow removal is a good idea ? Will that tax increase be rescinded if we have a mild winter next year ? Permanently raising the property tax base should be for long term cost increases, not to pay for snow removal in one of the snowiest winters in recent memory.
For those who’ve read their Village Budget Newsletters over the past five years, they will have noticed that all of the growth in our taxes has gone to pay for higher wages, pensions & healthcare. That’s despite a 10% cut in the Village workforce by our previous Village Manager, agreed to by the the previous Council. That has gutted our ability to respond to an Arctic vortex. Maybe if the previous Council hadn’t agreed to a retroactive 12% wage increase in 2011 for the previous Manager, or maybe if we hadn’t handed out 4% annual wage increases from 2010-2014 to some of our highest paid municipal employees – again, agreed to by the previous Council – then we wouldn’t be in this mess ?
Agreed though that we need better leadership – what about shared snow removal services ? If Glenrock, Waldwick, Midland Paqrk and Ho-Ho Kus can do a better job of snow removal, pay them a fee to help us as part of a shared service. That’s where the current Village leadership has let us down. But the wheels of budget cuts for snow removal were put in place in 2010 and 2011.
Reader says There is a limit to what property owners will pay, and we are there now.
I have run many businesses in my long career with tens of thousands of employees. Thanks for the compliment, but the Village manager job’s compensation wouldn’t cover my expense account for a month.
Having said that, when a business (or municipality in this case) is overburdened by generous compensations (=pay for you pinheads) and generous benefits (health insurance and retirement), the ONLY way to be able to continue paying these employees their increases is to ‘raise prices’ and ‘raise profit margins’.
In ‘simple speak’ so y’all can comprehend (=understand), that means raising property taxes. The residents are not about to stand for a property tax increase that can be avoided by outsourcing the services that can be accomplished by anyone with a pulse.
I saw in the paper that the Village advertised a position for an equipment operator that was grossly above what a private sector employee would command (what they would GET for pay)
So maybe you simpletons can understand. EVERYONE is replaceable. Your union contract can easily be converted to toilet paper. Do yourself a favor, if you expect job security, make some recommendations for increased productivity (=work harder and do more). Whining and complaining will make your jobs disappear.
In the real world, when wages become uncompetitive, we move manufacturing to states without unions, such as South Carolina and Alabama. The unions lose members, and the lackey politicians in the Northeast lose a taxpayer, which just shifts the burden (=amount of taxes) to other who are unfortunate enough to still live here.
There is a limit to what property owners will pay, and we are there now.
Reader says Increasing taxes is not the answer – finding better leadership is
People it’s time to learn how to do more with less – just like the rest of the economy has since the recession. The Mayor and his team have failed miserably at providing basic services. Walk around today and witness icy streets and abandoned trash strewn in snow banks that still protrude into intersections. Increasing taxes is not the answer – finding better leadership is.
How about the overpaid employees learn to do more with less.
Pay your own health care.
Pay your own 401K.
Take a pay cut.
Amend your union contracts.
Don’t like the above? Get replaced by contractors. Low bidder gets the job. (its not rocket science to plow snow, fill potholes, push leaves, or pick up garbage).
Reader says Aronsohn has failed to deliver on basic Village services
This is what happens when you put political hacks like Aronsohn in place. He has no real world management experience, says what’s expedient or that will make a good sound bite, and has yet to come up with (or back) a plan for anything that’s original, effective or efficient.
Start with the Christmas trees and the leaf pick up. Move to the potholes. Then look at our snow plowing it’s horrendous!
It’s supposed to be curb-to-curb, not 3′ from the curb on both sides. Drive along any street in Ridgewood that connects with a bordering town. The other towns are often down to black, while we still have snow on our streets – the boundaries are clearly visible. Look at Linwood Ave or Grove St as they enter Paramus, or Monroe St as it enters Waldwick, or Glen Ave as it enters Midland Park, or Lincoln Ave as it enters Glen Rock. Are these towns 15 degree warmer than we are?
Are we better off since these clowns got put into office – I don’t think so!!
