May 8,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Mayor Paul Aronsohn and his coalition Village council candidates Wietz , Brooks, Willett are trying to play the “Gabbert Card”once again but don’t be fooled.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn voted yes to every single budget from the day he got on the council until now. And was there during Tom Rica theft and never noticed parking utility discrepancies until then.
While Bernie Walsh’s record is far more thoughtfull, she didn’t vote in 2011 and voted no in 2012. Voted yes in 2013 and no to operating budget but yes to Capital budget in 2014.
During Bernie’s tenure the Police contract was renegotiated saving Ridgewood $250K for the lifetime of each new officer hired. and the Village reduced to one Captain and two Lieutenants.
The Ridgewood news reported that the Village Council at a special public meeting on Monday will lower the starting salary for officers coming into the department after Dec. 1 to $32,000, down from the previous starting salary of $49,273, according to the ordinance.
By the way unlike some current candidates and council members Mayor Killion ,do to a “30-year distinguished career” in the Ridgewood police department,recused himeself from all police contract negotiations .
And if they really want to play the Gabbert card maybe they should remember how many new people Queen Bee Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld hired help her do her job such as the HR person for about hundred thousand and that not counting her platinum health care and pension. In hind sight Gabbert’s raise does not bad compared hiring a new HR person. It is important to note that even after Gabberts raise he still made far less than his predecessor and far less that the new combo of Village Manager plus HR person .
According to the Kelly Ebbels of the Ridgewood News an article Paul has on his own website , the “Incentive bonuses can be awarded from a total pool of more than $80,000, Gabbert said. He estimated that the change from automatic raises to incentive bonuses could yield more than $40,000 a year in savings”, which then Councilman Paul Aronsohn voted against the proposal.
more dirt comes out. That incentive name replaces the stipend pay bonus that they got in the past.
thanks to the fly on the wall in village hall.
Great article, very eye-opening. Thank you.
HACHE VOIGT WALSH
Hope to be first in line tomorrow morning.
Will stop by the Mayors house tonight to check the signs for the names of three people I hope will never be listed as members of the Village Council.
Wonder of Evan Weitz will be able to get out of work early so he can vote.
this will be the time to clean up top of all the old dirty shit that has been going on for the last few years. scam and screw people.
Grabbit……I mean Gabbert was a disaster as manager, no if’s and’s or but’s about it. Just ask West Mildord, they let him go in January.
still better and cheaper than Roberta
Cheaper yes,better, no way!
I don’t get why the village manager is a campaign issue. She is a paid employee of the village. Why would a “major campaign issue ” be whether she is kept on or not? This is internal business and except for those of us who had personal dealings with her, how could the voting public make any kind of informed decision and why would candidates be asked to promise that they will keep her on? Also candidates were asked to support the current garage design and its funding. These pledge requests are coming from our current mayor. We want independent candidates not ones who have made promises to our outgoing mayor. One has to question why he is doing this. It seems somewhat unethical but mostly politically foolish. If his candidates lose, he may have himself to blame.
bring back jim any day.
Right 5:37 Drink for everyone and by the Jim can I get a raise.
I guess 5:37 wants to see a couple more village owned vehicles totaled
James, in all honesty, how can you say Gabbert was better than Roberta? He cost us taxpayers millions by reopening the public safety CBAs in 2010 and extending 4%+ annual wage hikes through 2015 (which formed the final comp for pension calculation for all of the retirees through 2016). You know this. Gabbert also appears to have been promised a retroactive wage hike which is a blatant violation of contract law, and that wage hike was approved by your favored candidate.