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We want to stay in Ridgewood but on a significantly reduced income it may not be possible. Yes, our mortgage is long paid, But our taxes have increased astronomically. Our quarterly payment is more than my Social Security for 4 months, so all my Social Security for the year goes entirely to taxes. Thank heavens my husband also has Social Security but it is not enough to cover all other expenses .A reduction in taxes could make the difference between staying here or selling our 4 bedroom Colonial to a family with children. Such a family would cost the Village way more in services than we do now.
Hey Ridgewood, cut my taxes or I will sell my house to someone that will cost you more money in services.
Isn’t that called extortion?
Time to down size,you no longer need a large home.
7:35 – it is not extortion it is reality. We were forced out also because of the taxes after a job loss. Never even had kids in the school system but just loved the town. With all those proposed apartments – Brogan site, Chestnut St., etc.the town will change so much we will be happy to leave it behind. It will mimic Montclair or Hackensack and lose its lovely community feel.
Board of Education = 2/3 of Ridgewood taxes!
Once kids are done with school we too are out of here . Who can afford to live here anymore unless you have two wage earners making over 100k each ? And this from a non rich east-sider
The sad thing is that the majority of the tax increases have come from BOE and Public Safety wage, pension and health benefit cost increases, not to make Ridgewood a better Village for residents. Those costs will double in the next 15 years and so will property taxes because the 2% property tax cap is exempt from pensions and health benefits. Blame the fat cat teachers, cops and fire dept for your tax increases. Their wages and benefits are squeezing out all other discretionary spending by the Village. They’re the ones getting $100K annual pensions for life and “platinum” level health benefits when they retire in their fifties. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
Taxes won’t be cut so long as union thugs keep buying their bag carriers elected in Trenton. State is run by union lackeys and pension hogs. Sooooooey!
Ridgewood is a service oriented town, they restrict retable’s and have a very large school system, and a paid fire and ambulance, this makes for a large tax levy but people who buy here know that going in, or should know that. The school systems budget is over a hundred million dollars but the cost per student seems very reasonable when compared to other districts in the state. The large budget seem to come from the large number of students.
Too many administrators in the school system and no attempt to tighten belts. $100 million is astronomical for a town of 26,000 residents. It is absurd.
I am also looking to downsize in the near future. No extortion, just saying that high taxes are no longer working for me.
Village goes from 30k with no kids in the school to another family with kids to educate. 5 bedrooms can house a big family.
Ridgewood is a service orientated community mainly for young families whom reap those benefits more than the empty nesters and matured singles.
The scale is tipped in favor towards young families who buy in for the school system, expect and want more. It is orientated to sports groups, leisure activity programs, young mixers, February recess, Spring recess, etc. They move out after the youngest graduates. The matured residents are basically left in the dust except to pay ever increasing school and property taxes.
There is more use of town services by young families vs. empty nesters as far as double the number of garbage cans of waste, recycleables, and water usage with washers running daily by the young families, the library. The matured residents usage is much less.
For decades, the matured residents were able to age in place in their life long homes since the taxes held fairly steady, with gradual increases over time. But, the housing boom of the 21st C. changed all that, and taxes spiraled out of control. Matured residents thought they would be able to continue to stay living comfortably and safely right in the neighborhood they always loved and not have to “downsize”. For many now its a question of should they sell and move together now, before one dies and then only one is left to make that decision later. These things and more, is not a balanced community.
Sorry, it’s not too easy to feel sorry for empty nesters dreading the sale of a 4 bedroom colonial. Yes it is unfortunate that you need 2 wage earners to make things work in this town. Its supply and demand. Sounds like a white privilege issue to me because you actually can downsize and still stay in town. Also, those dreaded young families moving in are the ones paying into social security and medicare by the way…
If the state is making rules for pension of teachers and other municipal employees, shouldn’t the state pay for those expenses?
Doesn’t make sense to hold municipal residents pay for decisions taken at the state level.
That is why they want full day kindergarten- 2 wage earners to live here and they want the babysitting service. And 11:39 makes a very good point
White privilege ?
That’s where your going with this?
What a complete asshole as usual….
So the Black and Hispanic family’s in town don’t enjoy the same social, political and economic benefits that I do? Really? Well, then how did they get here in the first place? You can’t have it both ways. Your logic with regards to supply and demand and classic liberal references to ” white privilege” is ass backwards…as is most everything you say.
Do us all a favor a crawl back under your liberal rock…Trump us our president now, NOT Hussein …..
106…you’re a douche hiding in anonymity…I’m not a privileged caucasian like your sorry pathetic ass…. unlike you i don’t hide…. with the comments you are a total loser. Yes Trump is president and guess what asshole, I support him. Just go south and burn a few crosses, that seems to be your element. Except Trump supporters don’t hide in anonymity so you must be a pantsuit butt wiper, right? Come on young lady, who be you?
To 820 am the state does pay the teachers pension not the municipality, the municipalities pay into police , fire, and dpw, pensions. The cops and firemen are trying to get control over their pensions to cut admin fees and improve fund performance.