Reader says Village Services were reduced because pension & healthcare costs for municipal workers have grown much faster than the overall budget
Village services were reduced under the previous Village Manager because pension & healthcare costs for municipal workers have grown much faster than the overall budget. With a cap on annual property tax increases, something had to be cut. Pension & healthcare increases – which are exempt from the cap – are contractual, so services were cut. So long as taxpayers subsidize health care coverage ($400 for family plans, $15 co-pays for prescriptions, and $5 per doctor’s visit) for many municipal employees, then the money has to come from something else, i.e. road maintenance and leaf pick-up.
We need new contracts.
Let the employees pay their own insurance since their unions supported Obama-care.
400 for a family plan? $5 copay? That needs to change. If we are forced to give them medical insurance, let them have $50 copays like the rest of us who pay their salary. With 50 copays the cost to the Village for the plan will be reduced.
the info up top is all not right.this info is on the fire and police depts thank you.
the all other depts do pay into the nj state insurance by law thank you.
and we pay more then fire and police thank you.
much more thank you.
no one’s taxes are going to go down until the mayor and council go after the bord of ed, the fire and police dept’s, thank you.
that’s 90% of your tax rate. thank you.
thank you.
no service cuts in police and fire.so get your info in order. the mayor and council need to have a set of balls and go after them, they make all the money. it’s time for a pay freeze for them.talk about over paid.
Sounds like Princeton saved 5% by combining two municipalities and sharing services. That led to an actual reduction – yes, a cut – in property taxes, along with improved municipal services. So it can be done in Ridgewood, too. Why can’t we aim to reduce property taxes in Ridgewood ?
we can, we need to start with the paid fire dept. other towns don’t have a paid fire dept. and the police make way too much money, and the b o e is nut’s.
to # yes in services cuts in police and fire.
what about showing a fire truck or a cop car . they make all the money.
If you want to save taxes, the target is the school budget.
1. Increase class sizes (it worked very well here when I grew up with 30 in a class)
2. Encourage empty nesters to STAY here.
3. Encourage singles to move here.
#2 and #3 are the best way to reduce demand on the education system which eats up 75% of your tax bill. Everytime an empty nester, single, or child-less couple moves out, a new family with children moves in adding to the school system burden.
Its very simple to understand, especially for those of you with simple minds.
freez on fire and police for two years will help.
And a freeze DPW workers
what are you on drugs. I just seen in the ridgewood news the pay scale on the d p w , they don’t make what the fire and police make. u must be doing drugs. the village police are over paid for what they do in this town, it’s not a city. and for the fire dept, they are so lucky to have that job, it’s not 1960,s in dream world. other towns like paramus are not full time. wake up.