the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Open Space Committee has recommended a tax increase via a November 2025 ballot referendum, sparking concern among residents and watchdogs over how the village uses its Open Space funds — particularly the trend of diverting these dollars toward artificial turf field construction and subsidizing businesses in public parks.
State wide in 2015, just four months after voters in New Jersey overwhelmingly decided to put tens of millions of dollars into the state’s open space program, conservationists accused the governor of raiding the fund.
At Wednesday night’s Village Council workshop meeting, the council discussed the proposal to double the current Open Space tax from half a cent to one cent per $100 of property valuation. This increase would raise the average household’s annual payment from $36 to $72 in 2024 figures.
Open Space Tax: Preservation or Pay-to-Play?
Although Ridgewood’s Open Space tax was originally intended to protect and preserve natural land, critics argue it’s increasingly being used for questionable developments — including installing expensive turf fields and financing private enterprises within public parks.
“Open space funds have for years been used to promote turf fields and subsidize businesses in public parks,” one resident stated, reflecting growing public skepticism.
Despite these concerns, the Village Council appears supportive of placing the referendum on the November 2025 general election ballot.
What’s Next: Ballot Approval Process
Following the council meeting, Village Clerk Heather Mailander will draft a resolution including the proposed ballot question. Once approved, it will be sent to Bergen County Clerk John Hogan to appear on the November 2025 ballot — a high-turnout election year due to the gubernatorial race.
Open Space vs. Overdevelopment
Councilmember Siobhan Winograd defended the committee’s work, citing past preservation victories like Habernickel and Schedler properties:
“Without [the] Open Space [Committee], Habernickel would’ve been housing and Schedler would’ve been a strip mall…,” she said.
However, opponents argue that the focus has shifted from protecting green space to pushing development-friendly projects under the guise of recreation — often with minimal public oversight.
Call for Transparency
As Ridgewood inches closer to a vote, residents are calling for transparency and accountability in how Open Space funds are allocated. The looming tax increase brings renewed scrutiny to decisions made behind closed doors that shape the community’s future green space — or lack thereof.
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When you continue to spend at increased rates there needs to be a new source of revenue.
Schedler is a financial disaster.
“Historic” house with no use, free soil that will cost millions to remove.
Hell no!
The money that has gone to Habernickel park to increase the revenue and venue of a private business is disgusting!! Wake up tax payers we are getting ripped off by this business and the park is a disgrace
With all due respect, members of this Village Council are deliberately making false statements in an attempt to change history in their favor. In addition to purchasing property from the Schedler family, the Village also purchased an adjacent lot on Route 17 that was owned for decades by a local gasoline/fuel oil company. This company had plans to build a gas station on the property but never did because market conditions wouldn’t support such a project. Therefore, comments from Council members suggesting that if the Schedler
property had not been purchased by the Village a gas station would be built are completely unfounded. There was no market for either a gas station or a strip mall on Route 17 northbound.
Liars, liars, pants on fire.
Thank you for the much needed injection of truth.
Watching this despicable council repeat the same insipid lies over and over again is beyond tedious at this point.
Additionally, the property was purchased in 2009. Some may recall that was the peak of the banking and real estate crisis in this country. Nothing was getting built, no matter how many times these hacks say so.
As an aside: hasn’t the Schedler property always been zoned as SIngle-Family only?
LOL. Another tiny flaw in this council’s attempt at revisionist history.
Just like the LIE that Healthbarn foundation is located at the gatehouse and that it is doing good for Ridgewood. What good, they don’t even clean up after themselves. . It is a private business. Still do NOT know what good it does for the town? No one can answer that! The foundation is NOT located there.
Same threat on hillcrest. If it wasn’t a park that now they let a business over run it would be homes…let it be beautiful homes that pay taxes. NoT a private business that is turning the park into garbage. The garden is gross, the green garbage cans all over it, tarps and tents. It’s horrible. So ugly. Beautiful homes would be a money maker.
What businesses are being subsidized? All local sports programs are non-profit organizations that are great for children and the community.
Healthbarn USA.
Putting Healthbarn USA in a park for menial rent and nothing else. They take take take from tax payers. Tax payers pay for everything that has to do with that park that a business used 6 days a week all day long. Camps all Summer and field trips and classes all daylong. Private birthday parties and only pay 3700.00 in rent. Your tax dollars take care of everything else but the plethora of income from all these activities that take from the park are for private gain. That’s a rip off to Ridgewood
Sure they are…total scam
Siobahn is just parroting what Evan Weitz always says. Both incompetent and ignorant.
Just wait til Valley tells Ridgewood to go scratch and doesn’t pay the taxes that this council is counting on. Things are going to get interesting.
Not a chance they pay that tax but KK thinks he can take their property on default. This will be in courts for years
Career suicide.
the council believes that voters in Ridgewood are clueless enough to fall for this
“believes”, more like know voters in the wood are dummies
They kind of are. No one knows or seems to care about how much of their taxes are used to facilitate a business at Habernickel. Schedler will be next. Why does Ridgewood council and manager keep giving more and more to Healthbarn at the expense of the people who actually pay taxes and take care of their neighborhoods. We have to bring in our garbage cans and recycling cans yet there are huge green garbage cans all
Over the garden and a new area with mulch in and tiny trees that looks awful. Why do they give that one particular business so much????
Let’s not even mention the pavilion or a brand new playground. For who???
Ridgewood voters keep voting with Paterson, this is what you get
then model the schools after Paterson too.
already happened
Village leadership simply cannot be trusted.
You can trust that the village leadership acts consistent with their values and aims, and that’s all that matters.
Wined, dined and pocket lined. Especially the $4M Feed The Front Lines, you can fool some people some of the time. Why did Healthbarn get the benefit of a giant $350,000.00 pavilion while other parks get the cheapie standard issue? follow the money, and it leads you right to the answer = greed. Dirty people equals dirty money.
The missing 4 mill. Healthbarn and Ramon and the Mayor accepted that huge check at Healthbarn in the park which is NOT the head quarters. Where did that $$$ go? Why all the favors for healthbarn. Smoke and mirrors tax payers
They are preparing for defeat from the Valley Hospital tax assessment lawsuit and will need this cash grab.
Everyone I’m talking to once they retire they’re leaving Ridgewood. No one is retiring and staying in Ridgewood for the rest of their life. Why would they. Yes it’s a beautiful town, it’s a family town, great for schools for our family, but once the kids are out of the high school it’s time to go bye-bye, because any financial advisor will tell you the same thing
And families that have stayed quiet are making noise in small circles too
Well they should make noise in a bigger circle and fight for their right to be able to stay. These leaders are taking advantage of us
RW is in a financial crisis and will be slapped by Valley. Spent the money before they had it. Years of being fiscally irresponsible along with the Habernickle and Schedler debacles have caught up with them. Take a look around at the poor conditions and lack of safety. Drum is beating louder and louder.
But somehow and for some reason they keep pouring mo ye into habernickle. Why?
“State wide in 2015, just four months after voters in New Jersey overwhelmingly decided to put tens of millions of dollars into the state’s open space program, conservationists accused the governor of raiding the fund.”
In a space that takes every opportunity to criticize Gov. Murphy (often deserved), let’s be fair and not sidestep naming the governor in his second term in 2015 (2010-18) who did many terrible things to this state, including implementing the Developers Remedy that has been steadily destroying our way of life: Republican Chris Christie.
What is the justification? What is this calculation based on and how do they specifically intend to use? They need to be held accountable.