Gov. Hugh Carey of New York, center, in 1975, during meetings on the New York City financial crisis. With him were Judah Gribetz, left, counsel to the governor, and Victor Marrero, assistant counsel to the governor.
Tiger Team makes recommendations: Establish a Financial Oversight Board (FOB)
Our work on this Committee has convinced us that there is a need for continued citizen involvement, oversight and leadership in Ridgewood’s financial matters in conjunction with the Village Council and Village management. The first and most important recommendation of our committee is that a permanent Financial Oversight Board (FOB) comprised of citizens be established by March 31, 2013, to facilitate evaluation and/or implementation of recommendation within this report, particularly those related to the 2013 budget process. The committee is aware that the Faulkner Act form of government in Ridgewood gives the Village Manager executive power over each department in the Village. However, we believe that the Village Council cedes too much autonomy to Village management. The Village Manager is the “day to day” CEO. But, the Village Council is the “Board of Directors”, to which the Village Manager is accountable. They are responsible for the funding of all Village operations and are, ultimately, responsible for the budget and Village governance. Unfortunately, the Village Council members do not have the time necessary to develop sufficient expertise in many areas of Village management, particularly with complex financial and budgetary issues. As a result the Village Council often relies on brief summaries and recommendations from the Village Manager to inform their decisions, and may not gain sufficient understanding of the implications of their decisions or what questions to ask. Our sense is that Village management perpetuates this dynamic in some instances. We expect that some Village Council members will learn about some details of the Village’s finances, for the first time, through the information contained in this report. Our opinion is that the Village Council has an obligation to establish clear directives for Village management take a more proactive oversight role.
Thus, the main purpose of the FOB would be to augment the financial expertise of both the Village management and the Village Council. Similar to the Planning Board, the FOB would provide expertise and continuity across election cycles and serve as a valuable resource for the Village Council, particularly for newly elected Council members. FOB members should have significant financial management, budget management ,and senior executive commercial or governmental management experience. The important recommendations in this report, as well as , areas identified for further study require that there be a group of citizens to support and audit the work being done by the Village. Because Village taxpayers bear the full burden of the Village and BOE budgets, and the BOE share of property taxes is approximately twice that of the Village share, we hope that the FOB would eventually also provide support and oversight to the BOE. This would also serve to facilitate synergies between the Village and the BOE that do not exist today.
FOB in other words a ” Shadow Government” of non elected people appointed by whom?
Whats missing from their report is the future spending on “pet project ” such baseball fields, parks, saving the schedler house, parking garages, handicap ramps 40 k over the grant, Graydon Pool, Arts Center, parking meters, sewer tax, cafe ordinances. Just put all the blame on the employee’s I guess there are a couple of ringers on the Mayor Paul A Tiger Team. Maybe we will see some their names on the next election ballot.
The Tiger Team has been had pick by Mayor Paul Aronsohn. What are their qualification? Have they give donations to our Mayor’s reelection fund or to any council election fund? We already have a prominent sport’s person’s wife on the team.
#1 – #3, have any of the the three of you even read the report these people wrote? It certainly does not blame the employees for our current financial state and it proposes opportunities for many employees to earn more annual compensation. It also seems pretty critical of the council and village management’s oversight. It is hard to imagine that they are in cahoots with them.
Yes, critical of the former councils . There are three new members who will say that they have nothing to do with it. The blame game.
#4 although the tiger team can’t blame the employees for the current state of financial affairs virtually every remedy negativly affects the emploee’s financially. It should be noted that mayor Aronsohn contacted the village labor union heads while he was campaigning so he could stand with them at a labor rally on the steps of the Trenton statehouse. Now he has formed a committe of “management specialists” to dismantle the compensation packages of the people he wanted to stand with at a labor rally.
The FOB needs to be people who are not on the mayor’s tiger club. The tiger club did their job and got things rolling. there should be More transparency in the selection of the FOB members.
Residents should submit their resumes.
Blame it on your predecessor……That should work for about 4 years.
I read the report….it makes a lot of good points. The solutions are unrealistic because they will never be enacted.
Just one question that I have been wondering about:
Is Mayor Aronsohn still receiving medical benefits from Ridgewood?
I know he made a campaign promise they would stop last summer, but have they?
I am not being accusatory, I just want an answer.
#8 that is an exellent question! One that can be answered through public information at village hall.
I think they would need to complete disclosures to avoid conflicts of interest. Also, all meetings will need to be public pursuant to the open public meetings act.
No good deed goes unpunished.
The tiger team has done a good job, but their meetings have not been public. They are unelected and we need to know more about them. If they had run for office all of their village ties would have been in their brochure. They should be thanked for their service and the VOR should begin a public search for residents to join the FOB. There are hundreds of talented residents who could contribute to the process.
It is obvious by those apointed to this group that there are no public employees allowed in the group nor is there any union representation present this seriouslly erodes the groups credibilty, as well as the cedibilty of the mayor who appointed them. There report was completly one sided from the anti employee position when i say employee i mean all public employee’s management of rank and file.
What is wrong with a group appointed by the Village Council or the Mayor or the Village Manager studying best practices and other how other communities are dealing with the challenges Ridgewood is facing and proposing some solutions? If citizens want to volunteer their time and put together a big report like this I think it’s great. Does not mean that the Village Council will adopt or recommend their ideas. Thank you to the people who volunteered their time to think about the challenges facing the Village. I may not agree with all of the ideas, but it is nice to see a proactive approach to learning.
I don’t get it. Once again Aronsohn get’s nailed for problems he inherited. Thank goodness he opted for open government by creating the “Tiger Team”. The problem they identified was gross overspending going back years by prior VC’s. Someone suggested that Village employees should also be on the Team. That is fine provided they possess the requisite financial and managerial skills and they live in the Village and pay taxes to the Village like all other residents. Otherwise it is absurd. Village employees cannot be part of the solution when they are part of the problem, largely because they have an inherent conflict of interest.
” Thank goodness he opted for open government by creating the “Tiger Team”. ”
This is a team that has not filed any disclosures and meets in private.
I was looking at a name on the list of team members. There a gentlman named Zeller if he is Mr.Zeller ESQ.that does criminal defense work wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest for him to be reporting on compensation of police officers? Obviously if he is not this person the point is moot.
On one hand they examined the budget and looked for savings. That was great. They also seem to have a downtown business district development component to their agends. This is where it can get sticky. Some members have real estate and other interests in the village and that may not be the best interest of the tax paying residents.
Once they start talking parking garage and downtown development they are no longer just a financial advisory group. There are several development projects that may bring in tax revenue, but they will benefit the developers more than the taxpayers. You can’t bet up on the employees and then push for special interest groups.
Point well taken 17 personally I hadn’t looked at that angle but it makes alot of sense!
PJ , the Tiger basically told the town what has been debated on this blog for many many years . I am not sure mayor robo-call had that in mind , but please keep this on the front burner
the Village spends to much money ,
kinda funny to see the dolts in the BOE looking to give Fishy a big raise while they kick the taxpayers kids to the curd for the Teachers union all at the same time the Tiger team puts out this report ….whats Brogan gonna do next ?