Ridgewood September 14, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Village to retain non-partisan May election by John Koster The Ridgewood Council has voted 5-0 to keep the village’s non-partisan election in May. As a non-partisan municipality, Ridgewood permits council candidates to run as a team or as individuals, but not as members of any national political party. The village had the option to move its election to November under a relatively new state law that permits municipalities that operate under the 1981 Non-partisan Elections Law to pass an ordinance to change the municipal election to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The law allows municipalities that hold non-partisan elections to change their election date to the date of the general election starting in 2012. The law also provides that, once a municipality has chosen to change the date of its regular municipal election to the date of the general election, it is not permitted to change the date back to May for at least 10 years. The initiative to shift elections from May to the time of the general political elections in November had been suggested as a cost-cutting measure, but all five council members concurred that they could lose more than they gained if Ridgewood held local council elections at the same time registered voters select national leaders. “We would save money, yes, but I think that the small amount we would save would not benefit the town,” said Councilman Stephen Wellinghorst, the winner of the most recent non-partisan election. “I think having a non-partisan election in this particular town is something that I would like to see preserved. Let’s keep it in May.” “I think the risks would outweigh the benefits. Keep it in May,” said Councilman Paul Aronsohn. “It’s really not worth it,” Mayor Keith Killion said of the concept of a November election in Ridgewood. Deputy Mayor Thomas Riche noted that the board of education trustees wanted to keep the board election and school budget vote in April, which negated a lot of possible cost-saving. Riche commented that if the council agreed to switch the election date, they would be stuck with 10 years of November council elections before they could opt to move the election back to May. “If we try this and it doesn’t work, we’re stuck for 10 years,” Riche said. Councilwoman Berndette Walsh agreed that the concept of keeping Ridgewood independent of national politics was important, and she too supported keeping the local non-partisan election in May. Boyd Loving and Roger Wiegand, two residents who regularly attend the council’s meetings, agreed that keeping the local nonpartisan elections in May was a good idea, and they approved the council’s unanimous agreement. Leonard Eisen, another regular at council meetings, pointed out that his personal research showed that, of the four candidates who ran for Ridgewood Village Council in the last non-partisan election, three were affiliated with the same party and the fourth was a registered Independent. Eisen felt that this made the question of a nonpartisan election somewhat moot. Ridgewood officials maintained that avoiding party politics -- a measure recommended by George Washington -was the best way to conduct elections in Ridgewood. (continued on page 19)