Departing council member Reynolds urges reconsideration of November municipal elections and cautions on local projects

Outgoing Council member Lorraine Reynolds used her Jan. 6 farewell remarks at the Ridgewood Village Council—s reorganization meeting to urge the council to reconsider the decision to move municipal elections from May to November and to take care on several local projects, including sidewalks and a town-garage site.

Reynolds, who served four-and-a-half years on the council, told colleagues her concern that November elections make campaigns more expensive and draw contributions from outside the village. "Fast forward to this past November campaign, approximately $77,000 was raised by one candidate and the lion's share of the contributions came from outside of Ridgewood," Reynolds said. "I don't believe that would happen if we still had the council elections in May."

Why it matters: Reynolds said the shift in election timing reduces the electoral opportunities for typical Ridgewood residents to run and can lead to uncontested local races. She framed the change as a financial barrier for grassroots candidates and suggested that returning municipal elections to May would restore more locally sourced campaigns and allow residents to vote on the school budget in the same cycle.

Local projects and cautions: Reynolds highlighted several village projects she said she hoped the new council would finish or reconsider. She said repair of the Kingsbridge Lane footbridge is underway and expressed confidence it will be completed in the spring. She said plans for contiguous sidewalks on West Glen Avenue are advancing, noting that some alignments depend on resident agreements and on whether the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permits continuing sidewalk work on the northbound side.

Reynolds also said the town—s garage-building work was postponed because of a recent snowstorm and urged the council to favor green space over a parking lot at the Franklin Avenue site. On a separate property she identified as the Shidler house, which she said is finished, Reynolds urged the council to "reexamine the facts and the science before resubmitting a plan to SHPO," and to "do the right thing for our health, our environment, and all of our future," citing mature trees—s role in soaking up rainwater.

Reynolds framed her remarks as personal experience: she noted her own lower-budget campaigns once cost "something like $5 to $10,000" and said, "All of my campaign contributions were from Ridgewood residents." She called on the council to consider whether the village wants election dynamics that favor candidates backed by large out-of-town contributions.

Meeting response: Multiple council members and residents praised Reynolds— service during the meeting. Evan Weitz, a council member, said Reynolds had been "a voice of dissent at times" but was always respected; resident Anne Loving thanked Reynolds for years of activism and public service. The meeting concluded with ceremonial gifts and applause.

Ending: Reynolds left the dais urging that the new council take a cautious, science-based approach to environmental and planning decisions; several of the projects she named will require future committee work and external approvals.