Ridgewood October 3, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 New municipal judge is former village mayor by John Koster Two years after David Pfund left his seat as mayor of Ridgewood, he will be returning to Ridgewood Village Hall in another official capacity: Ridgewood’s new municipal judge. Pfund, who served on the Ridgewood Village Council for eight years and as mayor for six years, opted not to run in 2010 because he wanted to pursue his legal career and spend more time with his growing children. Last week, the Ridgewood Village Council voted 3-2 to accept his application to serve as municipal court judge. “It’s an exciting opportunity to serve the people of Ridgewood, and I’m looking forward to it,” Pfund said just after his acceptance. Pfund said his specific salary had not been determined, but council members said his salary represented a savings from the salary of Judge Philip Sheridan. Sheridan resigned to avoid any semblance of illegality when it was determined that the law firm for which Sheridan works had made substantial political contributions. Judge Sheridan had joined the new firm as part of a merger. He was never accused of having made any personal political contributions. The council’s vote on Pfund split when, at a special public meeting after a closed session, Councilman Thomas Riche said he felt taxpayer money could have been saved through a shared-services agreement for municipal court coverage. Riche, a former deputy mayor, said he felt that option had not been adequately considered. Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh agreed with Riche, and they both voted “no.” Riche, however, said he had no personal animus toward Pfund, and thought he would do a good job. Riche was the first to shake Pfund’s hand after Mayor Paul Aronsohn and Council Members Gwen Hauck and Albert Puciarelli -- the victory team in the recent election -- all voted “yes.” Mayor Aronsohn said the shared-service concept was worth of further investigation, but that the inventory of cases that had built up since Sheridan resigned was so substantial that the council majority David Pfund felt a local judge was a necessity. Pfund said that his specific salary had not yet been determined, but the range for the regular part-time judge’s position is approximately $20,000. The Ridgewood municipal court hears a large number of traffic cases and misdemeanors, while felonies and juvenile cases are heard at the county level. A 1988 graduate of Muhlenberg College, where he majored in economics and philosophy, Pfund graduated from New York Law School in 1991, and has been admitted to the New Jersey, New York, and federal district bars. An active sports coach, he served on the Ridgewood Board of Adjustment and as a council liaison to the Ridgewood Planning Board. He is currently a member of the Ridgewood Library Board of Trustees and of the Ridgewood Sports Council Committee.