Ridgewood Village Council; take a lesson from Little Falls were officials give up salaries
MARCH 13, 2014, 2:02 AM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014, 2:02 AM
BY JEFF GREEN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
LITTLE FALLS – In a gesture of solidarity with frustrated taxpayers, Mayor Darlene Post and the Township Council are forgoing their $2,000-a-year salaries in a lean 2014 budget that all but cuts essential government services.
The $15.7 million budget, introduced by the council Monday night, calls for a $97 property tax increase for the owner of home valued at the township average of $302,000. It scales back new initiatives, reins in legal expenses, and for the second year in a row withholds raises for non-contractual employees.
The flood-prone township’s finances are so tight, officials say, that it can’t afford a new truck for the public works superintendent so his old one can be passed on to the emergency management coordinator for use in extreme weather. The coordinator has no vehicle.
“There were cuts made and there were requests that weren’t made so we could keep [taxes] flat,” Post said. She said under the circumstances, the budget is “as good as it gets, as bitter as it is.”
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20 bucks says that no matter how bad things get Aronsohn will never give up the money
$100 bucks says that no matter how bad things get not one Village employee will give up a dime either…….even though in the private sector they could not earn anything close to what they are getting now.
I’am not personally concerned about the salary only if they are getting benefits and pension from the village which will cost a lot more.
The mayor and council receive a pittance. It barely pays their gas bills for all the meetings they have to attend, much less dry cleaning and meals. They should not forgo that money. However, pensions and benefits for officials and employees must be curbed or the municipal portion of our property taxes will eventually pay for almost nothing else.
I think Mr. Aronsohn is the only current member eligible to receive medical benefits and I’m not sure if he’s still taking them for him and his family or not.
The pensions and benefits for the officials and employees has already been reduced by the legislature, the costs of health benifits should be curbed by the legislature as well, but for the health care providers to raise costs they should have to go before the board of public utilities regarding tax funded health care costs. Why come after the worker when the health care vendors are milti-billion dollar enterprises, I’ll tell you why, too many politicians at all level of Govt. own stock in these companies and that kind of legislation might affect the stock prices.
19 thousand dollars buys a temporary worker who could help shoveling snow from crosswalks, filling potholes, or picking up rotted xmas trees
Dry cleaning??? WTF???
hey I get a birthday cake from midland park.
#2 said $100 bucks says that no matter how bad things get not one Village employee will give up a dime either…….even though in the private sector they could not earn anything close to what they are getting now.
I would like to take you up on that bet? I can provide proof of one Village Employee who did give up thousands of dollars in the form of a raise.
I gave back , no more so what can i tell u.