Hornik has experience needed to lead Marlboro into the future

Ihave lived in Marlboro for 23 years and have known Jon Hornik, the Democratic candidate for mayor, since he was 14 years old.

Jon not only lives in Marlboro, he is of Marlboro. He’s spent most of his life living in Marlboro and experiencing all that the town is and has been. He’s seen it develop from a small town with as many cornfields as housing developments to what it is today. He’s seen the construction and expansion of our library, new schools, the municipal complex, the recreation building and our recreation fields.

He’s played in the rec department’s soccer program, in Marlboro’s Little League and has graduated from Marlboro’s elementary, middle and high schools. He has been a member of the Marlboro Jewish Center since it was created.

It’s been said that Marlboro is one of the best places in America in which to live. Given Jon’s life story – growing up here, marrying his Marlboro High School sweetheart, buying his own home and raising three lovely children here – no recent mayoral candidate other than Jon Hornik can boast that he lived the experience, participating and understanding all of the qualities that makes Marlboro what it is today.

Indeed, it is the very things that Jon experienced that has attracted so many people to move to Marlboro – including the candidate challenging him. While Jon’s opponent may boast about how Marlboro became a great place in which to live over the years before he arrived in town, Jon actively participated in making it so.

Over the last several years, Marlboro’s reputation has taken a few hits, primarily due to political corruption. That’s one of the reasons our No. 33 rating in Money Magazine, while still something to be proud of, has fallen during the current mayor’s term.

Unlike his opponent, Jon has chosen to avoid any political or other associations with those involved in the process that produced the corruption that has given Marlboro a black eye. He participated in tossing out the old regime of his party, whereas his opponent embraced his party’s old regime. He refused money from the old regime, whereas his opponent’s team accepted money from Matt Scannapieco.

I know Jon to be a man of high personal integrity and character. Much will be said about him, and his late father – the former colorful mayor of Marlboro. The whispers have already started. That is the way the current mayor conducts himself. Voters ought not to be distracted by such ugly tactics, especially those involving a deceased person who is not here to defend himself. Jon’s own record of character and conduct is unbesmirched. He is as decent a man as they come. In addition to his personal qualities, he has the firsthand experience to lead Marlboro away from its ugly recent past and toward a brighter future.

Eric Kaplan

Retired Chairman Marlboro Democratic Party

Marlboro