Ridgewood council has zero tax increase in sight
Thursday April 11, 2013, 4:06 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
A lofty goal since the outset of the municipal budget process, a zero percent tax increase for 2013 is now within the Ridgewood Council’s reach.
Using unaudited numbers from the end of 2012, Village Manager Ken Gabbert presented a plan Wednesday night that calls for $3 million in surplus spending while retaining roughly $500,000 in Ridgewood’s fund balance.
The spending is based on an estimated $4.3 million surplus total, of which a percentage cannot be used. Gabbert told The Ridgewood News on Thursday that the village will likely receive the audit report in July, and he and Chief Finance Officer Stephen Sanzari “do not expect a change from unaudited numbers.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/202580881_Ridgewood_council_has_zero_tax_increase_in_sight.html
Aronsohn would sell his soul to the devil in exchange for a guarantee of positive press.
Paul sells his soul to keep the taxes on 16,000 families lower? I’m in. Thanks Paul.
if tax’s go up around 100 or so and we don’t reduce any services that’s what people like. the problem is # 1 & 2 is the b o e. it’s time for the village to tell them we need the money first then the school’s come after us. for so many ears we bin on the back burner, no more my people. and to # 2 thanks paul, huh you sound like a real jack ass.
How did this three million mysteriously appear at the 11th hour?
I agree with #3s note about the BOE. The endless increases there need to stop.
Look at their presentation under “initiatives” – they want to add even more courses – none are core requirements, and most of which are honors courses. How much does each one cost? How many kids will each one benefit and by how much?
Instead of telling you, they offer an apples to oranges comparison showing average school taxes have increased 5%/yr over a long period. But fear not– average home values have increased 8% over the same period, they say.
Oh joy. How do you monetize that? No one issues you an “appreciation certificate” you can take to the tax collector as partial payment of your now even larger bill.
And even if you could refinance every year at super low rates, there’s a cost to that, which of course their presentation fails to show.
They also don’t show the substantial cost we as taxpayers pay for BOE debt service.
Sure I’m for good schools, and I went to the schools here myself, K-12, when most classes had 30 (to one teacher) and many had more. Funny thing though… the schools were rated higher than they are now– despite a lot more kids in the system.
RHS when I went there was a 3 year school — yet had over 300 more kids attending than it does today— as a 4 year school.
Some of the way-too-many extras need to go and save the cost. I have relatives who for 2 generations have taught at an exclusive private prep school in New England, rated near the top nationally. Yet they offer LESS “extra” courses than our taxpayer funded schools do…. and those who want ’em have to pay extra for ’em, too. Gosh, what a concept.
Also note that the Council received “word” from 2 BOE members (it was said in last meeting) that BOE has zero interest in having any kind of Financial Oversight group studying them. Gee… wonder why? Same type of thing they did to sandbag Morgan’s initiative of “hey, can’t we start with zero?”
They put it off and then at last minute came up with draconian cuts that nearly no one would want. He questioned it, they pretty much rebuked him and said “no, that’s that”. Amazing. In a budget that huge, there have got to be others…. like the stuff in their own presentation trying to justify the latest increase.
Voting NO on the school budget and hope others will do that too.
Vote NO on the school budget.
The VC and BOE are unreal (except for a couple realists like Morgan).
Does anybody every want to cut their budget? No.
Do financial realities require this? Yes.
Everyday, private companies are making the hard choices. Restructuring jobs, departments, making due with less, etc. due to financial constraints.
What have we seen with the VC and BOE? Nibbling around the edges. Threatening wholesale reductions to sports. What about negotiating reasonable pay packages? Rationalizing school administration? Saying no to scope creep?
If the BOE says “No”, to financial oversight, we should say “NO!” to the budget.
It’s time for a change.
Thed.