Vote for a Better Tomorrow: Joel Pabon, Jeanette Rios and Junior Iglesia Announce Candidacy for Perth Amboy City Council Election

Pabon, Rios and Iglesia in Column F on the Perth Amboy 2022 General Election Ballot

PERTH AMBOY, NJ – September 23, 2022 – Perth Amboy residents Council Member Joel Pabon, Entrepreneur Jeanette Rios and Board of Education member Junior Iglesia are focused on improving the quality of life for city residents, as the team has made their campaign for City Council official. The three candidates will appear in Column F on the ballots.

“Sadly, due to personal and political agendas and a lack of knowledge and experience Perth Amboy’s City government is grossly dysfunctional at a time when residents need it more than ever,” the Vote for a Better Tomorrow Candidates stated.  “The team of Pabon, Rios, and Iglesia have pledged to work together for a Better Tomorrow. We can not allow self-interest to get in the way of what is best for our residents.”

The longtime residents, whose campaign is titled “Vote for a Better Tomorrow,” bring more than 50 years of combined community service to Perth Amboy. They will leverage their collective knowledge and record of success to create a laser focus on improving the lives of the community they are eager to serve. Running for council to make a difference, Pabon, Rios and Iglesia have a multi-faceted platform aimed at:

• Combating the unconscionable and uncontrolled increases in rent prices for the 64% of Perth Amboy residents who are renters by enforcing the City’s existing rent control ordinance, and reducing the maximum annual rent increases to 3%;
• Requiring City law enforcement officials to conduct annual threat and safety assessments at all public schools to determine how best to protect the health and safety of the City’s students and faculty; and
• Launch a citywide “Quality of Life” educational effort aimed at making Perth Amboy cleaner, safer, and more liveable, particularly how to live safely in the COVID-19 environment, including adding additional testing and vaccine locations.

Since agreeing to run as a slate, the candidates have visited more than 3000 homes to hear concerns and answer questions directly from residents. They plan to visit thousands more in the next few weeks leading up to election day.

About the Candidates:

Councilman Joel Pabon is a lifelong resident of Perth Amboy and has dedicated over 20 years of public service through his involvement in the community. He served as Perth Amboy Council President in 2013 and is currently serving his 12th year on the City Council and is the former chair of the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency. Pabon retired after 34 years as a U.S. Postal service manager, and is also a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant, with 23 years of service, earning numerous Army commendations. He has long been a vocal advocate for the youth of the City having served as coordinator of the Safe Haven After School Program, a member of the Perth Amboy Board of Education for nine years, and former president and coach of the Perth Amboy Youth League, Puerto Rican Softball League and Dominican and Latino Softball League. Pabon and his wife, Marilyn, are proud parents of Joel Jr. and Jason.

Jeanette Rios was born and raised in Perth Amboy. She was the first Latina woman to serve as the mayor’s aide, and is the manager of the Perth Amboy Parking Utility. She has dedicated over 13 years of public service to the City of Perth Amboy, including as an executive member of the Perth Amboy Business Improvement District (BID). Rios’ love for public service began when she graduated from the Perth Amboy, Middlesex County Auxiliary Academy, and quickly ascended to the rank of lieutenant. She is president of the Pepino Athletic Club, having spearheaded the movement to resurrect the organization which now provides encouragement and resources for Latino entrepreneurs, backpacks and school supplies to students, and social activities and support for the Latino community. She has also served as vice-president of the Perth Amboy Democratic Party for the past two years.

Ten years ago, Rios decided to pursue her love for children and education and opened her first child care center, All Star’s Academy for children ages five to 13. A resounding success, The Academy now has two locations in the City of Perth Amboy.

Junior Iglesia immigrated from the Dominican Republic with his family to Brooklyn, New York, in 1995, then relocated to Perth Amboy in 2001 with his wife and three children. Iglesia has been an educator for the New York City Department of Education for more than 13 years. In November of 2016, he was elected to the Perth Amboy Board of Education, where he served as its vice-president, and currently is the chair of the BOE Finance Committee and is the Perth Amboy Board of Education’s Urban Schools Delegate.

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He is co-founder/vice president of the Perth Amboy Soccer Club. Iglesia earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baruch College CUNY and a master’s degree in Childhood Education from the College of Staten Island CUNY in 2012.

“As long-time residents, we embrace the diversity within our city and have a defined strategy  to create  positive change to make for a better tomorrow for all residents,” Pabon, Rios and Iglesia said in a joint statement.  

The Perth Amboy City Council election is scheduled for November 8, 2022. For more information on the Vote for A Better Tomorrow campaign, visit their website, https://vote4abettertomorrow.com/, or follow them on social media:

Twitter: @VoteBetterTmrw

Facebook: @VoteForABetterTomorrow

Instagram: @voteforabettertomorrow

Avoid the lines and traffic by voting via mail or early in-person at select locations. Mail-in voting in NJ starts September 24, and in-person early voting is October 29-November 6, 2022.