Ridgewood Residents Must Register by Tuesday for BOE Vote

Your vote will matter little when it comes to choosing the candidates for the Ridgewood Board of Education (since they're running unopposed and all), but it could have a big impact when it comes to 65 percent of your tax bill.

Of course, you'll need to be a registered voter in town to have any say. Tuesday, March 26 is the last day to register for the April 16 ballot. Here's more information on how to sign up.

Got it? Good. The proposed $91.28 million school budget is a 2 percent increase over the 2012-2013 budget. No programming or teacher cuts are expected. The average Ridgewood resident – with a home assessed at $687,364 – will see a school tax increase of $203.63.

There are two questions on the ballot. The first essentially asks you to vote on the tax levy increase; the second asks whether you want the district to provide more than just the core curriculum standards (like art, music, sports, etc.) in its programs.

Should voters give an overall thumbs down to the budget, it heads to the village council to set a new tax levy. Given the tenor of the discussion when the respective bodies met a few weeks ago, don't expect the council to trim much – if anything – should the new tax levy fall on their shoulders.