Yesterday, I announced the exciting news that I am running to represent the 2nd Ward of Hoboken on the City Council with the support of Mayor Bhalla and Council President Jabbour. Election day is November 7, and I am going to work over the next 5 months to earn your vote.
I am running because I believe in Hoboken and our community, and I think I am qualified to deliver results for our ward and city through a new and different approach. As a City Councilperson, I will be a bridge builder and problem solver, forging consensus, not creating counterproductive divisions and engaging in political grandstanding. I strongly believe that is the best way to produce results that improve our quality of life and ensure that the community we all love thrives. Politics is full of divisiveness, and our current 2nd ward representative has done too much to build that divide. It’s time for a change.
As a City Councilperson, I look forward to the opportunity to improve the lives of our diverse residents, be stewards of our public space, infrastructure and environment, support our business owners, promote education, and set an example that other cities can follow. Among my specific priorities are advocating for neighborhood safety and the timely addressing of maintenance issues, ensuring that community feedback shapes the design of the planned park at Union Dry Dock, securing upgrades on the waterfront at the former Monarch site, curbing flooding through the implementation of Rebuild by Design and other measures, and keeping Hoboken on a fiscally responsible path.
I am an attorney who practiced as a litigator for many years at a large international law firm. I am now an owner and Managing Director for a private equity style fund that invests in litigation related assets. I graduated from Cornell University and received my law degree from Cardozo School of Law.
I have been an active leader in the community for more than a decade. I’ve served as President of the Hudson Tea Condo Association, as Treasurer of the Hoboken Democratic Party, as a volunteer and supporter of the Hoboken Education Foundation and Moms Demand Action and as a advocate in the Rebuild by Design community feedback process, and the successful fight to secure Union Dry Dock as public space. I also initiated and organized with the assistance of City Hall, the Rent for Refugees program, directly helping dozens ofUkrainian refugees with new housing, food and other necessities.
While I grew up near Buffalo, NY (Go Bills!), I have lived in Hoboken since 2003, and I’ve lived at 1500 Garden Street in the 2nd Ward since 2009. My husband and I have two sons, who are 13 and 11. My oldest attends Hoboken Middle School and my youngest is finishing up his last year at Wallace Elementary. Our boys are active in youth sports across Hoboken so you’ll often see me on the sideline of a field or court. Our family is completed by our 11-pound fur baby, Waterloo.
I welcome the chance to meet you and listen to your ideas and concerns. Please contact me at marlaforhoboken@gmail.com or by replying to this email.
