Election 2023: Michael Scalea, Marlboro Council Candidate

MARLBORO, NJ — Marlboro Councilman Michael Scalea, running as a Democrat, is seeking re-election to office in the Nov. 7 general election.

Scalea, of Marlboro, has served as a councilman from 2015 to the present. His campaign link is: Home - Marlboro First. The term of office is four years.

Four candidates are seeking the two open seats on the Township Council: Democrats Scalea and Iqleen K. Virdi. They are running as a team with Marlboro Mayor Jonathan Hornik, also a Democrat.

Republican candidates for council are: Renzo Kolenovic and John Russotto. The Republican running for mayor is Feiby Dawod.

Scalea and his team all prioritize safety in the township, working proactively with the Police Department, as well as fiscal responsibility.

Scalea in particular, as the liaison to the Recreation and Swim department, says he is committed to endorsing new initiatives. "Our dedication lies in delivering top-notch activities and programs for both the youth, adult and seniors in our community," he says.

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

Read more from Michael Scalea:

Background:

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

Profession: Executive vice president, Canopy Life Sciences, a technology consulting company specializing in IT and management consulting services for the life sciences sector.

Before entering the consulting arena, served as the director of IT at Pfizer. In August of 2023, received recognition in The Healthcare Technology Report, earning a place among the top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders in New Jersey.

Educational background: Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Seton Hall University and an MBA from Walden University.

Volunteer: Dedicated numerous years to coaching youth sports, notably serving as the president of Marlboro American Youth Football for a span of nine years. In 2012, became a member of the Marlboro Recreation and Swim committee, actively contributing as a committee volunteer until appointment to the council in 2015.

Family: Michael and his wife Maria have been married for 32 years and have lived in Marlboro for 23 of them. They have three children: Brandon, 27; Colin, 24: and Gianna, 17.

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.

Safety stands out as a paramount concern in our township today, and we take great pride in our ranking as the 19th safest town in the state. This achievement owes much to our exceptional Police Department's unwavering commitment to safeguarding our community. They proactively engage in disseminating crucial safety information to our residents and diligently patrol and fortify our neighborhoods, maintaining a secure environment for all.

We remain committed to fiscal responsibility by consistently making prudent choices in budget management. Our AAA bond rating persists because we borrow when needed, leverage grants and bonds when feasible, and allocate funds judiciously. Throughout this process, we always keep the potential tax impact on our residents in mind. As a result, we have successfully maintained the municipal tax portion of our residents' obligations as stable as possible from year to year.

Having served as the liaison to the Recreation and Swim department for the last nine years, I remain committed to endorsing new initiatives. Our dedication lies in delivering top-notch activities and programs for both the youth, adult and seniors in our community.

Our ongoing efforts will focus on enhancing and maintaining our parks and fields. Notably, we have successfully concluded the long-anticipated municipal turf replacement project, which had been meticulously planned and budgeted for over the past few years.

My primary focus lies in the re-election of Mayor Jon Hornik and the team's election to the two council seats. It is imperative that we uphold the town's current trajectory, prioritizing the well-being of Marlboro above all else.

• 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.