file photo Boyd Loving
Ridgewood’s priority should be securing money
Securing money should be priority
To the Editor:
Re: “1.5 million more quarters are missing,” The Ridgewood News, Feb. 13, A1:
Thomas Rica was arrested over two years ago for stealing several hundred thousand dollars worth of unsecured quarters from a storage room at Village Hall.
However, I was shocked to learn that village officials still routinely store thousands of dollars worth of quarters in the same storage room for two-week intervals. This despite the massive theft, and their full awareness of a NJ State law requiring municipalities to deposit all cash within 48 hours of receipt.
Furthermore, although it was apparent to village officials from the onset that Mr. Rica’s crime was facilitated by lax coin collection, handling, and storage procedures, a secure coin collection and handling system has not yet been implemented.
Current village officials seem very eager to quickly cast blame for the “coin caper” on those who preceded them. Ridgewood’s taxpayers would be better served if these same officials would dispense with efforts to preserve their respective public images, and instead focus on taking whatever steps are required to ensure that every last cent of cash collected by village employees is safely secured and accounted for.
It’s been over two years since the fox sneaked into the hen house and the hen house still hasn’t been completely secured. Time’s a-wasting.
Boyd A. Loving
Ridgewood
Yet another sign of incompetence at Village Hall –
The Chestnut Street parking kiosk has been on the fritz for years. An untold amount of revenue lost because the device is a lemon.
If this were a private business, the device would have been replaced (under warranty) years ago. But, this is Ridgewood and nothing has been done.
Mo money, mo money, mo money down the drain.
Good points Boyd. I’m trying to figure out how the secure canisters for $13,000 would have prevented this theft. Won’t the secure canisters be brought to the same counting room, emptied and be left for 2 weeks??