Raise Revenue, Not Taxes!

Ridgewood is a beautiful place, in my memory, and in its present incarnation. The Village seemingly  reinvents itself periodically, in an effortless fashion, as the old families who put their children through school move out and new ones move in to begin the cycle over again. This is fairly typical of suburban life in the Northeast US, except that Ridgewood does it as well or better than any other place.

This cycle of renewal of Ridgewood residents does come with a price, as any Village property tax statement will readily attest. It costs plenty to maintain a first rate school system, operate police and fire departments, and to keep the Village, including its gems like Graydon Pool, in pristine condition. This just names a few items which must be funded annually, and the price of all these amenities is only going up.

Let's be clear, I am all in favor of funding the tangible and intangible features of Ridgewood which add to the desirability of a living within its borders, and especially those that increase its attractiveness or value. I just want to point out the obvious that Ridgewood's next renewal will have to be predicated on finding new sources of revenue and not new sources of taxes.


This to me means growing the tax base by building housing in the Central Business District which are of the one and two bedroom variety. Besides offering a place for empty nest Villagers looking to downsize, they would also maintain a sense of continuity in the village. Downtown housing offers the opportunity, which is now largely lost when people move out, of protecting the Village's collective knowledge of what it is and hopes to represent. I maintain that the Village's Group Intelligence is a priceless asset, and one which common sense urges be respected and encouraged to developed further. 


In our likelihood in addition to downtown housing ideas, raising revenue and not taxes might mean swallowing hard and accepting ideas which might be aesthetically challenging like cell phone towers and solar panels.


I've never felt it was going to be easy for Ridgewood to contemplate, not to mention implement, its next period of renewal. I just put these ideas out for discussion and hope that I won't be shouted down. I fear and have felt the pervasive group think which is often inflicted ex-Ridgewood residents when they speak their minds regarding their old hometown. This happens often enough that it hampers our collective intelligence by limiting input to a select few individuals or filtering potential Golden Suggestions. My suggestions may not be "Golden" but they are worthy of consideration as a means for making the future of Ridgewood as bright and promising as it was when I lived there in the 1960s and 70s.

Happy Holidays!