the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold its next Regular Public Meeting on Monday, May 4, 2020. The Board meets at 7:00 p.m. at 49 Cottage Place.
Due to the health concerns related to COVID-19, the meeting will be conducted via videoconferencing. Comments or questions can be submitted prior to and during the public hearing through the link in the section below.
The public is welcome to watch from home on Fios channel 33. Meetings are also streamed via the “BOE Webcast” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
Meeting webcasts are immediately available on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda in PDF format.
Click here to view the webcast.
Click here to submit public questions or comments for the Public Hearing.
I am extremely disappointed that the BOE has still not made provisions for those without computers to make comments during their public meetings.
I believe this is unlawful, and BOE members know it, but they continue to ignore the law.
Someone without a computer could be watching the meeting on cable TV – not everyone is streaming via computer, nor does everyone have access to a computer.
The Village Council provides a phone number to call during their public meetings for those with comments, but without access to a computer.
Why can’t the BOE do the same?
The Ridgewood BOE considers themselves to be above the law and always has. Don’t you know that by now?
Just like the BOE rammed through their $115 million budget 5-0 under the cover of darkness without anyone watching on March 23rd, to pass a 2.11% annual property tax increase. You can’t even find the budget presentation on their website!!! Dr. Fishbein just says everything has been slowed up because of the CV19 effort… what a putz!
“2.11% annual property tax increase.”????
I thought it was 2%?
Yeah, the BOE got railroaded by the NJEA (teachers‘ union) yet again.
Governor Murphy cut property tax relief assistance, so the $654K in tax relief in the BOE’s assumption of tax values is incorrect.
So the actual property tax increase absent property tax relief from the state is more than 2.11%.
It is not within the statutory 2% cap on the tax levy without the above sleight of hand. That’s why they rushed it through 5-0 on March 23rd without even posting the budget presentation on the BOE’s website. The tax increase is explained in the third last slide if you can find the presentation anywhere. I found it here:
https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18490448
Why should Ridgewood property owners be forced to pay more only for fixed cost escalation in salaries, vacation leave, pensions and health care under the CBAs with the unions the BOE contract with?
These tax increases are not going towards improving the physical plant, the curriculum, the resources and technology available to students. They’re going to give teachers more of the pie, that’s it. Hence the bond.
Anonymous – you have linked last year’s presentation. This year’s budget increase is only 2%. Not 2.11%.
See, hard to find… https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=23636554
You have to strip out the assumed property tax rebates from NJ State coffers given Gov. Murphy cancelled those.
Governor Murphy cut property tax relief assistance, so the $654K in tax relief in the BOE’s assumption of tax values is incorrect.
So the actual property tax increase absent property tax relief from the state is more than 2.07%
“Only 2%”?
Where’s inflation? How is the economy ? How are private sector jobs that allow Village residents to pay these taxes?
Please pull your head out of your derrière.