UNION COUNTY — Union County Freeholder Chairperson Alexander Mirabella has been appointed to the National Association of Counties 2020-2021 board of directors. With Mirabella’s appointment, Union County becomes the sole representative for New Jersey counties on the board, which includes approximately 125 members and executives.
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Union County for 23 years on the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and I look forward to bringing the issues, concerns and achievements of our community to the national conversation on county governance,” Mirabella said.
Mirabella brings years of experience in business and public service to the Board of Chosen Freeholders. First elected in 1997, he is serving his eighth three-year term. He has served as vice chairperson five times and was sworn in as chairperson for the fifth time in 2020.
As chairperson in 2020, Mirabella has spearheaded Union County’s response to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, including the creation of New Jersey’s first county-run free COVID-19 drive-through test center at Kean University and the organization of free walk-in test sites in local communities, which together have provided more than 100,000 residents with COVID-19 tests.
Union County has also distributed more than 1 million meals for families and created eight new grant programs funded through the federal CARES act, providing COVID-19 emergency funding for small businesses, schools, libraries, restaurants, nonprofit organizations and child care facilities, as well as respite assistance for caregivers of special needs children and youth, and tenants in need of rental assistance.
In meeting these new challenges, Union County has also leveraged years of prudent fiscal management to avoid tax increases and avoid layoffs, while continuing to provide residents with essential services.
Mirabella has served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, the Fire Services Advisory Board and the Union County Vocational–Technical School Board of Education. He has been honored by Prevention Links for his work in substance abuse prevention, by the Union County Library directors for his advocacy on behalf of libraries, by Community Access Unlimited for his efforts on behalf of the disabled and by the Raritan Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross for securing grant money to train disaster volunteers.
He was also instrumental in creating the Union County Office of LGBTQ Affairs, the first office of its kind in New Jersey. During its first year in 2018, the office organized outreach and advocacy events addressing housing, senior services, education, health, public safety, community engagement and other areas of concern.
Mirabella was first elected to the Roselle Park Borough Council in 1991 and served until 1996. He graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., with a degree in economics. He and his wife, Phyllis, have a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Micayla.
NACo was founded in 1935 as a national advocacy group for America’s county governments, supporting federal policies that prioritize the needs of counties and their residents, while also promoting innovative programs that optimize tax dollars and improve government efficiency.
For more information, visit www.naco.org.