Ridgewood council introduces 2025 budget, funds PFAS treatment and Schedler remediation

The Village Council of Ridgewood on April 9 introduced the 2025 municipal budget and approved multiple bond and water ordinances to fund infrastructure and public-safety projects, including continued work on PFAS treatment across the Ridgewood Water service area and a $1.5 million soil remediation allocation for the Schedler property. The council set a public hearing on the budget for May 14.

The municipal budget packet presented by Village Manager Keith Kazmark and Finance Director Bob Bruney showed total general appropriations of $64,770,957 and an amount to be raised by taxation of $45,189,633. The manager said the proposal is “affordable” and asked the council to set May 14 as the final public hearing and adoption date. The proposal would raise the municipal portion of property taxes by 3.14%; the presentation showed the average Ridgewood home would pay about $149.63 more annually (about $12.47 per month) under the proposed numbers.

Why it matters: the budget funds a multi-year capital program and several large water-treatment projects. Ridgewood Water is mid-buildout on a PFAS removal program that the council and utility described as a multi-million-dollar investment. The administration said the village will continue to fund road paving, tree plantings, police and fire equipment replacements, and library and park upgrades while meeting debt service targets that helped preserve the village’s Standard & Poor’s rating.

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