The village is becoming a flip model of graduations then For Sales signs as TAXES ,financial pressure ON JOB holders and families impacted by corporate downsizing and then college costs ,drive midlife families and seniors who have paid dearly for decades .We all loose unless we work to change this Tax and Spend model.Cost of money finding can only go up from current low interest rate and low energy costs environment ..more risks ahead..taxes likely to rise to meet
Inflation and general funding requirements.FEEL GOOD PROJECTS SHOULD BE derailed.Health Barn,full day Kindergarden. Ideas about performing arts and other build outs should be shelved.Ridgewood is worth the Fight. Versus the moving truck solution..
I am very concerned that newly formed committees/boards/councils etc. (arts, access, more) will consider part of their mandate to come up with countless expensive projects to propose to the council, who should bravely but firmly deflect like mad and say NO to all of them. We do NOT need a performing arts center, etc.–like many things, that was another Aronsohn plan to get his picture in the paper. It didn’t happen in time for that, so let’s scrap it. Even if partial grants can be applied for, such things always involve big bucks from property taxes. We have to stop working so hard to attract more people to visit and move here, because that just creates more problems. We cannot absorb more traffic, for one thing.
We will likely reading the same stories for many years to come if the current (and recently elected) Village “leaders” have their way. High end downsizing options are sadly few and far between for those who would like to remain in Ridgewood but no longer have to deal with the costs and time associated with running a large single family house in town. The type of development in the CBD discussed for years would have provided a much needed alternative for existing residents looking to downsize but various groups have seemingly put paid to that solution for now for fear of overcrowding local schools with an influx of kids from out of town and other types of scaremongering. They chose however to conveniently ignore the fact that there are already cheaper options in parts of town much better suited for growing families.
Vote NO on all day K.
The school system is eating up my income.
They are having committees to study why people over 55 are leaving. Shiela Brogan is on the committee. The survey showed that moving is a financial decision. She needs to pay attention.
can RW get any further from being a Village?
Lets just change the name and be done with it…
The school board budget in Warwick, NY failed by one vote. It is incumbent on every citizen to vote, your vote matters.
11:52. So we can let the developers overtake the town ?..?
Morristown. Montclair and other overdeveloped towns have their shining examples of what’s to come from the developers..look at the Highlands at the Morristown Rail Station
It’s a Monstrocity of oversized generic apartment housing. And They are then soon long gone after selling out to a Reit somewhere is south FLORIDA, with a local management company to deflect the towns screaming .
This is nothing new has been going on for decades. As for seniors leaving i still see a fair amount of them in town and in no rush to leave.
There is too much money being spent on self egos and favors in this town.
3.59 Nailed it. its like Nj housewives Ego level on restaurants and Hip venues.
Had this conversation with my husband today. There is no way I will stay here when my youngest is through school, not a chance.
Two more years. That’s all I want. Just two more years of this continuing myth that Ridgewood’s schools are great. I want to see my realtor listing” Beautiful center hall colonial with … blah blah blah. Adios amigos.
It is not just seniors leaving. As soon as the kids are done with school a lot of parents leave.
New residents want full say K and Graydon to be a country club.
@1:34, as if that really matters? We defeated the budget here years ago when we still voted on it – maybe 2007? – and the BOE reduced the budget I believe by a grand total of a whopping 1,000.
@1:45, think it is easier for this current crop of seniors who paid home prices more aligned with their income. For many who bought after say 2002, bubble or post bubble, the house represents a greater portion of net wealth and with taxes being so high it usually makes sense to sell/significantly downsize when children are older.
As a 20 year resident who had three children go through the schools I offer the following thoughts. Ridgewood is not an easy town to live in and is getting more difficult every year. The school system and performance has steadily declined while the costs are out of control, $100M budget today will be how much in 10 years? The teachers are nasty, do not help the kids at all, and many of us require multiple tutors to get the kids good SAT and college test scores. How many of us had to use tutors? The town in-fights on everything from a sports field to housing to development to traffic. We spend money to improve the train station, but many residents cant park after 7:00am, there is also no way to pick-up or discharge passengers. We add a bike lane in the busiest section of town and back up traffic in all directions for untold miles. Anyone ever able to get a new stop sign or police enforcement on a road that supports speeding, have to wait for something awful to happen before getting attention? Every spring people plant lawns and gardens and every summer, Ridgewood (only Ridgewood) sends out the ‘deputies’ to fine those who water their lawns.
The taxes on my home have almost doubled in 12 years, value has not risen (in fact may have fallen) while services, roads, parking, etc have all remained stagnant.
After 20 years and with a sense of regret we will fold the tents here and move on. I am sure someone will move in a be very happy as we were, but I do suggest we all understand that times are changed and not for the better