Three towns sue Ridgewood over consecutive water rate hikes
THURSDAY MAY 17, 2012, 12:16 PM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER
WYCKOFF SUBURBAN NEWS
Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff are seeking a refund of more than $3 million in a class-action lawsuit filed against the Village of Ridgewood after an investigation into its water utility’s finances showed a 26 percent rate hike imposed on its customers was unjustified, said the attorney representing the municipalities.
Attorney Joseph Fiorenzo held a press conference at Wyckoff Town Hall on Wednesday, May 16, to reveal the findings of an eight-month investigation which he said showed that the deficit the utility reported to justify a 21 percent increase in 2010 and another 5 percent hike in 2011 was a “complete and utter sham.”
“[The deficit] doesn’t exist and never existed,” Fiorenzo said. “Over a period of years the Village [of Ridgewood] was dumping expenses into the budget of the water utility.”