Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ridgewood council adopts 2026 municipal budget with 3.98% increase
Summary
The Ridgewood Village Council on May 13 adopted the 2026 municipal budget, approving a 3.98% increase amid sharp rises in health-care and fuel costs; council leaders credited staff for limiting the rise and maintained no cuts to essential services.
The Ridgewood Village Council adopted its 2026 municipal budget at the May 13 regular meeting, approving a 3.98% increase over the 2025 spending plan.
Council members said the increase reflects steep cost pressures this year, including a large jump in health-care benefits and higher fuel and snow-removal costs that affected municipal operations. Keith (the village manager) and CFO Bob Rooney presented four state-required technical amendments before the final vote and said the changes did not alter the overall bottom line.
Why it matters: Council members framed the vote as the product of intensive staff work to preserve services while absorbing unavoidable cost increases. Mayor Heather praised the team27s work and noted the region is seeing much larger tax increases, saying, "it is astounding to me that we were able to wrangle this to a 3.98% budget increase." That figure will be reflected in the municipal portion of property-tax bills for 2026.
What the council approved: The adopted package included three technical amendments (a revenue reclassification tied to state aid and permit-fee projections, a required water-capital reconciliation, and a $400 correction to a dedicated open-space trust figure) and the formal resolution to adopt the 2026 municipal budget. CFO Bob Rooney walked the council through each amendment and confirmed none changed the bottom-line tax impact.
Council members emphasized fiscal restraint and continued services: Speakers noted Ridgewood27s work to limit the increase amid a regional environment in which neighboring municipalities have adopted larger rises. Councilors also highlighted no reductions to essential services and ongoing capital investments, including paving and equipment purchases, funded in the plan.
Vote and next steps: The council adopted the budget by roll-call vote during the consent agenda (roll call recorded affirmative votes in the meeting transcript). The budget will be posted per state requirements; officials said they will continue monitoring state and regional cost drivers as they implement the plan.
Provenance: The budget discussion and adoption are recorded in the manager27s report and budget-resolutions sequence (topic begins at SEG 1410 and concludes at SEG 1647).
