Election 2023: Jonathan Hornik, Marlboro Mayoral Candidate

MARLBORO, NJ — Mayor Jonathan L. Hornik, running as a Democrat, is seeking re-election to the position in the Nov. 7 general election.

Hornik, of the Morganville section, has served as mayor since January 2008. He is seeking a four-year term.

Hornik says his focus as mayor has been on safety, fiscal responsibility, infrastructure and open space. But he also points to his experience in dealing with challenges during his time as mayor.

"These are serious times, and your local government needs serious people," Hornik said of his bid for re-election.

He is running with fellow Democrats for Township Council Michael Scalea and Iqleen K. Virdi, seeking the two open seats.

Hornik is being challenged by Republican Feiby Dawod. The Republican challengers for Township Council are Renzo Kolenovic and John Russotto.

For more information about his views and those of his running mates, visit his campaign website: https://marlborofirst.com/.

In these profiles, candidates provide voters with background about themselves and their positions on the issues, as they see them.

Read more from Jonathan L. Hornik:

Background:

Candidates were asked to provide their professional or volunteer information, government experience and personal background.

Professionally, I have more than 25 years of experience as a transactional attorney. I am a founding Partner in LaRocca, Hornik, Rosen & Greenberg, LLP and Chair of LHRG’s private lender law group. I advise public and private companies in all aspects of secured and unsecured loan and real estate transactions.

I’m a proud product of the excellent Marlboro schools, graduating from Marlboro High School in 1988. I’m an attorney by trade and received my law degree from Brooklyn Law School. My family life includes my wife Daryl, our three children, and two dogs.

Top issues:

Candidates were asked about the important issues in their municipality and to offer ideas on how the governing body might address them going forward.

We are focused on safety, maintaining our fiscal responsibility, improving our infrastructure, and continuing our efforts to preserve open space.

Thanks to the amazing men and women of our police force, violent crime does not exist in Marlboro. However, to combat a statewide issue of car thefts, we acted with the first-in-the-state ordinance levying fines and penalties for anyone who trespasses on private property to steal a vehicle, implemented specialized police patrols, and expanded our "See Something. Say Something. We Will Do Something." Program.

I’m proud to say there have been no vehicle thefts in August or September.

One of our top priorities is making sure the township is managed in a fiscally responsible way.

Financially, Marlboro is one of the strongest towns in New Jersey. The budget process can present difficult decisions, but with consistently thoughtful and smart choices, we are one of only six towns in the state to receive a AAA credit rating.

At a recent council meeting, Marlboro's auditor confirmed Marlboro has low debt, borrowing at 21 percent of state-mandated capacity. Our commitment to sound financial planning allows us the capability to upgrade our roads, drainage, safety, and the walkability of our community at a lower cost to taxpayers.

Marlboro’s infrastructure requires investing in our future. In the past five years, our administration has paved more than 25 percent of the township roads and allocated more than $15 million toward road and drainage projects. Last year, we announced the largest road improvement investment of $35 million over seven years.

We are committed to preserving open space and protecting the character of Marlboro.
We have preserved more than 310 acres of land from development, including 53 acres at the corner of Routes 79 and 520 formerly known as the Stattel Farm and now the site of the Marlboro Farmers' Market.

Lastly, having the opportunity to serve multiple terms as mayor, I’ve learned that we don’t know what major issues our town will face in the future. We’ve endured superstorms, a pandemic, and more.

These are serious times and your local government needs serious people. We need capable people to serve on the Township Council. I ask for your vote and, equally important, the support for my running mates Mike Scalea and Iqleen Virdi for Marlboro Town Council.

Candidates for Marlboro Township Mayor (Full Term; Vote for One)

• Jonathan Hornik (D) Monmouth County Democrats
• Feiby Dawod (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization

Candidates for Marlboro Township Council (Full term; vote for two)

• Michael Scalea (D): Monmouth County Democrats
• Iqleen K. Virdi (D): Monmouth County Democrats
• Renzo Kolenovic (R): Monmouth County Republican Organization
• John Russotto (R): Monmouth County Republican Organization

Note: Candidates who have not received their request for profile information from Patch should check their spam folders or can contact Pat McDaniel at patricia.mcdaniel@patch.com for the email with candidate questions.