Potential Ridgewood Tax Hike Lowered

The potential tax hit on the municipal side won't be as heavy as first thought. According to Village Manager Ken Gabbert, a 1.5 percent increase in municipal taxes won't come close to approaching the $225 figure first bandied about. Actually, it'll be around $70 for the average resident, he said.

It's not all good news, however. According to the administrator, the projected increase in revenue isn't shaping up as expected. Trimming departmental budgets also didn't yield some of the numbers they had hoped, he added. 

According to Gabbert, the numbers didn't "break" the way they usually do.

So while the village is now able to pencil in $175,000 in FEMA funds, it's a wash. The administration is also no longer considering not filling vacant positions in police, fire and the streets departments.

Should the council reach a 0 percent tax increase, it will need to cut $473,000. With council members saying they're unwilling to layoff public safety employees, it looks increasingly unlikely they'll reach the 0 percent tax increase.

The council might wait to pass a budget until late May or early June to see if more FEMA funds can be budgeted for 2013.