MARLBORO – Two four-year terms on the five-member Marlboro Township Council will be on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The three candidates running for office are Democrats Randi Marder and Michael Scalea, and Republican Alan Ginsburg.
Marder is seeking her fourth term as a member of Marlboro’s governing body. She has served on the council since 2008.
Scalea is seeking his second full term as a councilman. He has served on the governing body since 2015.
Ginsburg is seeking public office for the first time. He was not elected in the June Republican primary, but after the two GOP council candidates who were elected in the primary dropped out of the race, Ginsburg claimed one of the party’s ballot positions.
He has lived in Marlboro for 14 years and has been retired since 2002. He has 32 years of government service in Brooklyn, N.Y., including five years as a rackets investigator and 27 years as a court officer for the Kings County Supreme Court.
Ginsburg served on the Marlboro Swim Club board for five years and was a mediator appointed by Monmouth County to participate in municipal court cases in Marlboro, Manalapan and Englishtown.
Asked why he is running for a seat on the council, the candidate said, “I want to give back to the community I love. My children went to school here and graduated, and I love the town. I believe in the two-party system and I feel I can bring a fresh face to the table, a new set of eyes and ears. I want to give back to the community. I feel like I can make a difference and that’s what it’s all about.”
As Marder seeks a new term, she said, “There are a lot of group accomplishments I am proud to have been a part of, including our AAA bond rating … Our smooth budget process recently allocated another $5 million to road improvements, on top of $5 million from the previous year …
“Our emergency preparedness has greatly improved to include a generator for the recreation center so that building can be used as a shelter if needed. It has been and continues to be important to me to find ways to bring our community together. In that vein, we have built upon our Halloween celebrations to include a Halloween parade and a Trunk or Treat event,” she said.
Scalea said, “I have been fortunate to serve alongside Jeff Cantor, Scott Metzger, Carol Mazzola and Randi Marder on council for five years. It has been a pleasure to serve the community and provide assistance on various resident issues, as well as to produce financial growth through our commercial businesses development.
“Together, we have been able to deliver more cost-efficient services and because of sound fiscal planning we are able to secure funds at the lowest rate due to our diligence and to receiving an AAA bond rating … We continue to work together to preserve and protect strategic land through our open space program,” he said.
Ginsburg, Marder and Scalea were asked to discuss the issues they believe Marlboro will face during the next four years that will need oversight and possible action by the council.
“I want to look out for seniors and those with disabilities in Marlboro,” Ginsburg said. “Some issues I would like to address are roads, traffic congestion and overall safety. I also want to go after distracted drivers. That is a safety issue and it’s something that could be addressed with some implementations. The police and fire departments and public works do a fantastic job, but maybe we could work with them to get some bad drivers off the road.”
Looking forward, Marder said, “I would like to continue my work with our municipal alliance, the Shade Tree Committee, the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Committee and the Recreation Commission.
“The municipal alliance has my support and I am proud of the strides taken to educate our community about the dangers of substance abuse. The establishment of the Marlboro Community Garden is a source of immense pride for me.
“Creating something useful for the community on already preserved open space and having the shade tree and open space committees work together to make that happen was a great example of volunteers working together. I remain steadfast in my belief that the more open space we preserve, the less building will take place.
“Working with the Recreation Commission the last four years has been rewarding. We created an event to celebrate and recognize the many volunteers who contribute to the success of our recreation programs,” Marder said.
Commenting on the possibility of serving for another four years, Scalea said, “If re-elected, I would continue to be diligent in our fiscal planning and ensure our portion of property taxes are stable and balanced.
“(I would) continue to find ways to improve upon our youth and senior programs through liaising with our incredible Recreation Department. Finally, I would like to work with the state (at) the Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital property so we can finally put that area to practical use,” he said.
