Ridgewood Voters Face Open Space Referendum: $35 Extra Tax—But Will it Save Green Space or Fund Turf Fields?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood residents, check your mail! Mayor Paul Vagianos has confirmed that your sample ballot for the November 4, 2025 General Election includes a pivotal local measure concerning the Village’s Open Space Trust Fund.
This referendum proposes a modest but significant increase to the existing Open Space levy—a move that has ignited a fierce debate over the fund’s true purpose: genuine natural preservation versus the development of new, often controversial, recreational facilities like artificial turf fields.
The Proposed Tax Hike Explained
For 24 years, Ridgewood’s Open Space tax has remained at its current rate. The new ballot question proposes to double the levy to one penny per $100 of assessed property value (up from approximately half a penny).
What it means for homeowners:
- For a property with an average assessed value of $712,700, the annual increase would be approximately $35.64.
- The overall goal is to increase funding for the “acquisition, preservation, improvement, and protection of park and recreational property.”
Proponents argue this vital increase will help “preserve and enhance the Village’s character” by funding new acquisitions of land before they are developed and improving existing parkland. Councilmember Siobhan Winograd highlighted past successes, asserting that without the fund and the Open Space Committee, crucial properties like Habernickel and Schedler would have been lost to housing or a strip mall.
The Center of the Controversy: Preservation vs. Development
Despite the stated mission of “protect[ing] and preserve[ing] natural land,” critics charge that the fund’s focus has been strategically shifted, leading to a loss of public trust.
The main point of contention is the alleged use of Open Space money for projects that critics view as contradictory to the fund’s environmental mandate:
- Artificial Turf Fields: Opponents claim the fund is increasingly used to finance expensive, long-term installations of artificial turf—a type of development many residents oppose due to environmental concerns (microplastics, heat, PFAS chemicals) and high replacement costs.
- Subsidizing Private Enterprise: There is growing skepticism that the money is also being channeled toward financing private businesses and development-friendly projects within public parks, under the guise of “recreation” and with limited public oversight.
One resident, reflecting the growing sentiment, stated that Open Space funds “have for years been used to promote turf fields and subsidize businesses in public parks.”
What’s Next for Ridgewood Voters?
This November’s vote is more than just a slight tax adjustment; it’s a critical decision on the future direction of Ridgewood’s green space policy.
Voters must weigh the Council’s argument—that the funds are essential to protecting Ridgewood’s character and achieving successful land acquisitions—against the public’s concern that the money is being diverted away from conservation and into potentially detrimental, high-cost recreational development.
Make sure you understand the nuances of the ballot question before you cast your vote on November 4th.
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That is not correct. The Open Space Trust Fund is used to acquire property for parkland that otherwise would have been developed. That is separate from the decision on what to do with newly acquired park space. So while don’t need any more turf, we should agree that acquiring more open space is better than that land being bought for high density housing or a strip mall.
we have open spaces left in Ridgewood?
The question posed was my first thought on reading about the open space referendum, will funds be used to promote turf fields and subsidize businesses in public parks? Or will we have grass, trees, natural materials, etc.