"This is a priority. This is something we talk about on a regular basis," said Ridgewood Councilman Paul Aronsohn, who helped organize the event. "What we hope to do today is to really start a community-wide conversation, an opportunity to share lessons learned, things that work and don't work."

"The village manager is in charge… And it's disturbing that he wasn't clear as to his role in a time of crisis," Aronsohn said.

Ridgewood residents unsatisfied with the current state of village government have formed a group with the goal of ushering in a leadership change, setting their sights on spring elections.

"He either doesn't get it or he just isn't willing to accept responsibility for it," Aronsohn said after the meeting. "Either way, we have a problem."