Where Do Your Taxes Go? Ridgewood Announces 2026 Budget Hearing Schedule
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ever wonder how the Village of Ridgewood decides which roads to pave, how many firefighters to hire, or which park upgrades to prioritize? Now is your chance to see the gears of government in motion.
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the Ridgewood Village Council will kick off its 2026 Budget Hearings. These sessions are the most critical meetings of the year for local taxpayers, serving as a deep dive into every dollar spent across the Village’s various departments.
The 2026 Budget Calendar: Key Dates
The budget process is a marathon, not a sprint. Here are the milestone dates you need to know:
-
Kick-off Hearing: Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
-
Continued Review: Hearings will continue into late January and early February (with a session also scheduled for Monday, January 26).
-
Formal Budget Introduction: Scheduled for February 11, 2026.
-
Location: Most hearings take place in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room (4th Floor) at Village Hall, 131 N. Maple Ave.
What Happens During a Budget Hearing?
Unlike a standard Village Council meeting, these hearings are highly technical and department-focused. You can expect:
-
Staff Presentations: Department heads (from Police and Fire to Public Works and Parks) present their wish lists and explain their projected costs.
-
Council Q&A: Councilmembers grill staff on “line item” expenses to ensure fiscal responsibility.
-
Resident Input: The public is encouraged to offer comments and ask questions before the budget is locked in.
Why You Should Get Involved
The 2026 budget will set the tax rate for the upcoming year and determine the quality of services in Ridgewood. Following the recent debates over affordable housing and infrastructure upgrades, this year’s budget is expected to address:
-
Infrastructure: Costs associated with road repairs and flood mitigation.
-
Public Safety: Maintaining elite levels of police, fire, and EMS services.
-
Property Taxes: Balancing the Village’s high standard of living with the impact on your wallet.
Pro Tip: If you can’t attend in person, the Village usually livestreams these meetings on their official website and YouTube channel.
Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews, #bergencounty, #sponsoredpost, #SponsoredContent, #contentplacement , #linkplacement, Email: [email protected]
Where in the budget process do they tell us how much the soil removal at Schedler will cost?
So the budget finalization is the SAME date as the ordinance vote- sounds like ANOTHER case of poor planning – bring snacks folks – going until 2 am again as they try tire everyone out.
Followed by same old song and dance:
“We’re sorry we don’t want this – we don’t want to be here late”
Has zoom been confirmed for ALL sessions? I want to be like Rurik home in bed on my iPad.
Don’t forget the village needs to put in a budget for down the road expenses for any employees that work at these locations they’re responsible. It’s called a trust fund for health, just like 911. They need to be prepared because no one knows what’s going to happen down the road.☠️
Start popping the popcorn. How many other highly paid and unnecessary poorfessionals do we need. Keith keeps the revolving door open. Rutihauser replacement was from matrix engineering (ring a bell) and Paterson where keith sources most of his nepotism plants. Carol B. making 6 figures to do what and communication in the crapper??? C’mon people!
Check the administration salaries at Cottage Place and for what? …..talk about taxes being high