Ridgewood introduces 2026 municipal budget with 3.98% tax-levy increase; public hearing set for April 8

Village Manager Keith introduced the Village of Ridgewood’s proposed 2026 municipal budget on March 11, saying it “delivers a 3.98% increase in the tax levy” and attributing most of the upward pressure to employee health-care costs and recent snowstorm recovery expenses. Council voted to publish the budget and set a public hearing for April 8, 2026.

Keith told the council that an anticipated $3.1 million (stated in presentation) increase in employee health-care costs is the major driver of the levy change and that the village implemented a high-deductible option and a supplemental “difference card,” which he said averted a larger state-driven increase. He said the village’s unaudited 2026 surplus is about $7.5 million and that Ridgewood Water’s unaudited fund balance is about $13.2 million.

The manager outlined both cuts and priorities used to balance the budget. Reductions include postponing some reassessment funding and trimming professional planning services, legal costs and overtime; officials said some planning costs will be covered by escrow or the affordable-housing trust. Capital and service priorities retained in the proposal include a $2.75 million road-resurfacing program, PFAS-treatment and lead service‑line work (staff said PFAS facilities are expected to be completed by Q1 2027), purchase of a new fire apparatus (cost cited around $1.2 million), emergency operations center construction at Douglas Place, radio and body-camera upgrades, and continued investment in parks and tree-planting.

Manager Keith illustrated the household impact by citing the village’s example average home value of $715,000, and saying municipal taxes on that home would rise roughly $195.89 a year (about $16.32 per month) under the proposed levy. He also noted the budget is roughly $3.8 million under the statutory tax‑levy cap and about $1.3 million under the appropriations cap.

Council members praised staff and the finance office for balancing service-level priorities, maintaining reserves and preserving the village’s credit strength. Council members repeatedly credited the administration’s planning and noted neighboring municipalities face larger increases.

Votes and next steps Council adopted a set of budget-related actions by roll call to move the budget to public hearing on April 8, 2026. The council: introduced Ordinance 4090 to establish a cap bank under NJSA 4:45-14 (first reading and set hearing for 04/08/2026); adopted Resolution 26‑73 (the municipal budget notice) and related resolutions by roll call; and approved a consent block of resolutions authorizing a series of contracts, change orders and awards tied to water-main work, parks improvements and other capital items. Finance staff said the public-friendly version of the budget document will be posted next week.

The meeting also included several ordinance actions taken that evening: the council adopted the bond ordinance 4084 (a water-utility bond appropriating $4,955,600 and authorizing $4,707,600 in bonds/notes) on second reading and adopted other capital ordinances and second‑reading items as part of the published agenda. Several first-reading ordinances (including 4091–4093 and others) were introduced and scheduled for hearings on 04/08/2026.

Public comment and related items During public comment, resident Boyd A. Loving asked designers of a new playground at the Lakeview location to plan for mitigation of Canada goose droppings to reduce health risks to children. Manager Keith said staff will coordinate with the health department and bring options forward. The meeting concluded after the council adopted a series of consent resolutions and adjourned.

What happens next The council scheduled a public hearing on the 2026 municipal budget for April 8, 2026; the full budget and associated finance documents will be posted to the village website when available for public review.

Quotes “[T]he budget that’s being presented to council tonight delivers a 3.98% increase in the tax levy,” Village Manager Keith said during the introduction. “The major driver of increase this year comes down to health benefits.”

“At the end of the day, really, Keith, you led a great team,” Mayor Vadgenos said in remarks praising staff work.

Sources and limitations This article is based on the March 11, 2026 Ridgewood Village Council meeting transcript and on statements made on the record at that meeting. Dollar amounts and timing (for example, the PFAS-treatment completion target of Q1 2027 and the cited surplus) were presented as unaudited figures during the meeting.

Ending The council moved the budget to a public hearing on April 8, 2026 and approved multiple related ordinance readings and consent resolutions; the hearing will be the next formal opportunity for public comment on the budget.