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Ridgewood CFO outlines budget increases for cybersecurity, postage and debt service
Summary
At a Feb. 3 special budget meeting, Ridgewood finance officials proposed increases to cover required cybersecurity testing, higher postage and shifting debt-service costs; council members discussed opt-outs, contract timing and the village’s time-and-attendance rollout.
Ridgewood Chief Financial Officer Bob Rooney told the village council on Feb. 3 that the finance department’s 2025 operating budget includes a $24,000 appropriation for external cybersecurity penetration testing and an overall 3.4% increase in salaries and wages for the department.
Rooney said the $24,000 is intended for an outside firm to test email, server, wireless and other controls and that the joint insurance fund (JIF) requires such testing. “This is village wide,” Rooney said, adding that the test had been delayed and “we’re actually obligated to do it again.”
The penetration testing request sits alongside other new or growing costs. Rooney and Village Manager Keith said postage and express-mail charges have risen sharply after a year of heavy, mandated mailings including tax bills and DEP statutory mailings. The finance director told the council the village spent about $35,000 on postage in 2024; the 2025 request for the line item is roughly $47,000. Rooney noted some of last year’s higher postage came from a boil-water notice mailing and said February mailings required by DEP rules, and required statutory tax mailings, cannot be opted out of by recipients.
Why it matters: council members questioned whether more material could move online and whether an “opt out” could be created for nonessential bulk mailings. Council member Evan (surname not specified in the transcript) asked if residents could decline some mailings; Rooney said bulk mail formats such as Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) cannot be opt‑out and that statutory tax bills must still be mailed in paper form.
Rooney also reviewed deferred charges and debt service. The deferred charges section includes a required $250,000 to cover an emergency appropriation for fire salaries and wages and the final years of a COVID-related special emergency that the village will finish paying in 2026. On debt service Rooney said total debt service is down roughly 6%–7% for 2025, driven primarily by lower interest on short-term notes and favorable note sales, while general obligation principal is “slightly up.” He said the village benefits from a AAA bond rating.
Nut graf: The finance presentation emphasized several near-term, largely non-discretionary costs — mandated cybersecurity testing, postage and statutory deferred charges — while noting opportunities to reduce future debt and to apply existing capital credits to cushion some increases.
Council discussion and next steps: Council members asked for more detail on which mailings are legally required and whether legislative fixes could enable opt-outs in the future. Rooney suggested pursuing legislation to allow municipalities to offer opt-out options for required mailings such as tax bills. The village manager said some credits and trust funds might be applied later in the budget process and that staff will refine the postage estimate before budget introduction.
Ending: The finance director said several line items remain subject to adjustment as staff finalize year-end numbers and apply credits; the council reserved additional questions for upcoming work sessions and the March introduction of the budget and related capital ordinances.
