Local Business Owner Seeking Council Seat

Two Newark City Council seats are up for election this year, and so far only one individual has announced her intent to run.

Councilman Luis Frietas has yet to determine whether he will seek re-election, while Councilman Alberto Huezo has said that he will not campaign to keep his seat on the council.

A Familiar Face Seeks to Join Council

Sucy Collazo has already begun her campaign for support in gaining a seat on the five-member city council. The local business owner has lived in Newark since her teenage years and now shares ownership of the in Old Newark.

It is her experience in running a business that she hopes to bring with her if she is elected to the council.

Her decision to run stems from her the way her late father raised her and her two sisters — to stay knowledgeable about and involved in the City of Newark and its operations.

“I love Newark. I don’t aspire to move onto something else,” Collazo said. “I’m doing it for the love of Newark.”

If elected, Collazo hopes to work on the relationship between the city and schools as well as the services Newark provides to its senior citizens.

“I don’t want divisions. I want everybody to accept people for who they are and help people along the way,” she said.

The other priorities she sees the council facing in the future are public safety and fiscal stability. If elected, she said, she will advocate for attracting more businesses into town that will increase the city’s revenues.

Analyzing the Possibility of a Fifth Term

Freitas, currently the city’s vice mayor, said Thursday that he is still in the process of deciding whether he will seek a fifth term on the council. He hopes to make a decision by next week.

The longtime councilman, who is a general contractor, was first elected in 1995 and ran in hopes of taking part in improving public safety and the quality of life in Newark.

He said if he decides to seek another term, he will continue to work on improving public safety and focus on the economic status of the city.

“I will continue to work with the city to enhance the quality of life of residents of Newark,” Freitas said.

First and Last Term

Huezo first joined the city council in spring of 2007 when he was appointed as the replacement for then-councilwoman Susan Johnson. He was elected to office in November of that same year.

However, he was no stranger to Newark. Huezo had been employed with the City of Newark since 1974, when he was city clerk and finance officer. He moved up the ranks and was the town’s city manager from1995 until he retired in 2005.

His decision to leave the council after his term expires stems from personal reasons, including his recent struggle with leukemia. He is now in remission and said he hopes to spend more time with his family.

“I made a promise to myself and my wife that I would only run for one term, since I had served the city in other capacities,” Huezo said.

While his choice means he will no longer sit on the council, Huezo said he plans to be involved in the future.

“It doesn’t mean I won’t help when asked or volunteer. (But) the city needs someone who can be there all the time,” Huezo said. “It’s time to let someone with the enthusiasm, energy and youth to do all that.”

He hopes that whomever sits on the council knows the city well.

Candidates for city council seats will be able to begin filing papers on July 18. The nomination period for the city council seats will run through Aug. 12.