APRIL 21, 2015 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, 9:22 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Village Council is getting ready to introduce its spending plan for the 2015 fiscal year after a final discussion last week pertaining to some items contained in the 2015 operating and capital budgets.
All five council members stated at least some support for the staff recommended budget, which calls for a 1.2 percent tax increase. A home assessed at the village average of $690,672 would see a $46.72 increase.
The budget is scheduled for introduction on April 22, while village officials are targeting May 27 for a public hearing and adoption.
One of the changes proposed in the budget is increasing the hours for senior human resources professional Sharyn Matthews from 29 to 35 hours, making her position full-time.
Councilman Michael Sedon questioned Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld as to why it was necessary to increase Matthews’ role from part-time to full-time.
Sonenfeld responded that the full-time human resources professional will work on an organizational redesign with the significant retirements the village is facing in the coming years, as well as putting a strong process in place for a performance evaluation system.
There will also be a general savings to the village in having Matthews handle responsibilities currently borne by other professionals such as the labor attorney, Sonenfeld said.
Treasurer Steve Sanzari noted that the village budgeted $60,000 for labor attorney fees, but actually spent $96,210 last year. With a full-time human resources staffer on board, $50,000 needed to be set aside.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-municipal-budget-to-be-introduced-1.1313737
I’m glad the Council seems to be happy with the budget.
Now all I have to do is check my bank account to see if I have enough funds to pay for it.
PS: May 1 tax quarter bill due next week. Oh well, it seems I’ve thru this before.
“There will also be a general savings to the village in having Matthews” Her Salary, Medical Benefits and Pension has to be more then was spent on the Labor Attorney $96,210 for last year. What was spent on the Labor Attorney for the other years? Maybe we need a new Labor Attorney. We have to pay them anyway to look over contracts and other matters unless the new full time Human Resource person has a law degree.
Interesting point (7:41) —
Who watches all this stuff.
Labor lawyer feescoming in $36,210 over budget must be due to protracted negotiations on new contracts for police & fire in 2014/15. Plus Sue Knudsen caused a large amount of billable hours by questioning the Village’s hiring policies and her conflicts due to her sons trying to get jobs with the RPD. Glad they’ve kept this under the 2% property tax cap at 1.2%. That doesn’t mean Village operating, debt dservicing and entitlement benefit costs have slowed to less than 2% annual growoth, it just means Roberta has made Village Hall more efficient. They money we’ve saved on Roberta’s salary easily covers the full-time HR position which will be needed as we face a mass exodus of retirees taking advantage of more favorable retirment benefits through 2016, as well as the implementation of a new performance evaluation system. Bravo Roberta, and glad to see our Council in what looks like it will be a 5-0 vote on Village taxes.
Hey 8:14 AM – Stop drinking the Aronsohn Kool Aid before it kills you.
8:14 The billable hours for the Labor Attorney were caused by The 3 Amigos and Roberta trying to push that Ordinance by not proper discussing it in the proper forum. Our Mayor asked the Labor Attorney to come to the meeting and give an hour dissertation backing their agenda. Have you seen the VM managers salary for 2015 ? Has she gotten a pay raise? Is there a stipend built into the budget for her and other top management.? I doubt that the salary and benefits package for a full time HR person will be made up by the saving on the VM salary for 2015 and the years to come.
that’s cheep.
who’s getting the performance evaluation top manager ‘s only. they need it. this is dr, gabbert all over.
so what they are talking about on the performance evaluation look over like they do on WALL STREET. the main problem is who ever gives a good long ass kiss will get the best raise. last time this happen’ed one man got the best and highest raise in the managers group. and we all know who that was, right mr bull shit’er of all time, yeah him. u all know who I’m talking about RIGHT . he was some lap dog . now we have a few new lap dog’s in town. and we know who you all are. so watch your self’s, because we are watching you.
Who, Who, 10:15 Let have some names. Or are you just throwing crap against the wall to see what sticks. What a blowhard
“so watch your self’s, because we are watching you.” and we are watching you BUG.
Who was it big ?
huh, names you say my little flower, well just look up it your self , open the books and they can tell you who and how much money in % they got and why. we can not gives names because that will be slander, we don’t do that. we know the law’s. and thats not being a blowhard, what ever that means , sorry that is the law.
thanks .
hahaha, good luck in village hall , because the top has bugs all over the place, good luck. and you will shit your selfs when you find all bug’s in the nest.
so true 2;58 , what 1pm huh ,
to 12;53 take a walk