Politics & Government

Planning Commissioner Appointed To City Council

Robert Marshall is voted in as Newark city council's newest member.

Longtime planning commissioner Robert Marshall was appointed onto the city council Monday night.

City councilmembers voted 3-1 to select Marshall. Vice Mayor Ana Apodaca voted against Marshall’s appointment.  

With an abundant smile, Marshall, 63, shook the hands of his fellow councilmembers after the meeting and said he was “overwhelmed” by the decision.

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“I’m really appreciative of the opportunity to serve the community,” Marshall said.

Marshall joins the council after having served as the vice chairperson of the city’s planning commission. He said during his interview that his years of experience on the planning commission and his involvement in other Newark organizations that drove him to run for city council.

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Marshall said in his interview that with his appointment, he hopes to be a councilmember who has working knowledge of how the City of Newark operates and that his familiarity with the City of Newark means he has a “short learning curve” and would be ready to be a city council member.

To read more on what Marshall and the other council applicants had to say Monday night, to read Patch’s coverage of the interviews.

Ensuring he is caught up to speed with the top city issues is what Marshall said his immediate goal would be.

Marshall was who applied for the vacant seat. Council members said the selection was not an easy one but that they preferred a candidate who implied he or she would not run for re-election when the term expires in 2013.

Mayor Al Nagy was the first to express his recommendation to appoint Marshall and noted Marshall’s indication that he would not run for re-election and his knowledge of the city as the reasons behind his support for Marshall.

“All these candidates were great,” Nagy said. “Newark will be in good hands if we have people like that.”

Nagy added that his reason for wanting a candidate who would not seek re-election is so that voters can elect the next individual to fill the seat once it expires.

Councilman Luis Freitas said it was his feeling that in order for Newark to have a strong foundation, appointing someone from the planning commission would make the most sense.

Marshall’s appointment to the city council results in a vacancy on the planning commission, according to City Clerk Sheila Harrington.

Harrington said Marshall will be required to formally resign from his seat on the planning commission and that individuals will be invited to apply for that seat. An applicant will then appointed to the planning commission by the mayor.


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