Home | Northvale 2026 | Northvale NJ Mayor & Council Election 2026

Joe McGuire, Laura Fernandez, and Hovannes Bakalian running for Mayor and Town Council Northvale 2026

A STRONGER FUTURE FOR NORTHVALE

Meet the Team

Delivering Results. Strengthening Community. Building Our Future.

Joe McGuire

Mayor

A 25-year Northvale resident, Joe McGuire was sworn in as Mayor in January 2023 with a simple promise: Make Borough government more transparent, accessible, and accountable. He's kept that promise.

Under his leadership, Northvale has modernized how residents engage with local government — from livestreamed council meetings and a revamped Borough website to a quarterly newsletter and expanded social media. He's delivered real quality-of-life improvements, secured grant funding for additional police officers, and cut Borough expenses by an estimated $100,000–$150,000 annually — savings that go straight back to taxpayers.

Before becoming Mayor, Joe served four years on the Northvale Council and seven years on the Board of Education, including five as President. He's coached youth sports in Northvale for over a decade, served on Town Day committees, and brings 30 years of IT and tech industry experience to the job of running a smarter, more efficient Borough.

Joe and his wife Sue have raised their family here. This is home — and that's exactly why he serves.

Hovannes Bakalian

Councilman

Hovannes Bakalian brings a grounded, practical perspective to the Northvale Council — shaped by a career spanning property management, commercial real estate, and industrial sales. That experience has given him a firsthand understanding of how landlords, businesses, and residents can work together to build thriving communities.

On the council, Hovannes is focused on what he knows best: strengthening Northvale's growing small business community, supporting smart development, and making sure the people who live and work here feel heard. He's known for his collaborative approach and his ability to bring people together around shared goals.

Hovannes and his wife Tania are proud Northvale parents to three children — Never, Emma, and Chloe. Getting more involved in town life only deepened his commitment to give back and help keep Northvale what it already is: the best kept secret in the Northern Valley.

Laura Fernandez

Councilwoman

Laura Fernandez joined the Northvale Council with a clear purpose: give back to the town she loves. After watching her family put down roots here over two decades, Laura and her husband Adam chose Northvale to raise their own family. That personal connection drives everything she does in office.

Professionally, Laura brings 15 years of marketing and communications experience to the council, with a background working with notable brands and her own boutique consulting agency. Her expertise in digital strategy, social media, and community communications supports Northvale's efforts to keep residents connected and informed.

Laura played a key role in bringing the Northvale Community Garden to life — contributing to the planning, organization, and community events that made it a reality. She also founded Northvale's Pumpkins for Pink event, an annual fundraiser benefiting breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering — a cause close to her heart as a breast cancer survivor.

Laura is focused on smart, connected, community-first leadership — and making Northvale an even better place to grow up and grow old.

Experience and Vision for Our Community

Delivering Results. Strengthening Community. Building Our Future.

Joe McGuire, Laura Fernandez, and Hovannes Bakalian aren't just running mates — they're neighbors, parents, and community members who chose Northvale and choose it every day. Together, they've spent the last few years making Borough government work better, cost less, and mean more to the people who live here.

When Joe McGuire was sworn in as Mayor in January 2023, he made a simple promise: transparent, accessible, and accountable government. In 2024, Laura Fernandez and Hovannes Bakalian joined him on the council with the same commitment — to show up, do the work, and put Northvale first. As a result of Mayor McGuire's leadership, what followed was a term defined not by talking points, but by real, visible progress.

The work isn't done. There's more to build, more to protect, and more to deliver for the people of Northvale. Joe McGuire, Laura Fernandez, and Hovannes Bakalian are running together because they believe in this town — and because Northvale deserves leaders who live what they stand for.

What this team has delivered:

Fiscal Responsibility

Utility costs reduced by ~$2,000 per month
Professional service expenses cut by $100,000–$150,000 annually
Smart budgeting with real savings for Northvale taxpayers

Transparent & Accessible Government

Council meetings livestreamed on YouTube
Quarterly newsletter mailed to every household
Meeting highlights posted after each session
Rebuilt Borough website with online tax payments
Expanded social media keeping residents informed

Quality of Life

Recycle Coach program and mobile app for residents
Community Garden underway — secured at no cost to taxpayers
Parks upgraded and Borough aesthetics improved
First-ever official Borough Seal established
First-ever September 11th Memorial dedicated

Public Safety & Community Support

Additional police officers hired through grant funding
Security cameras installed in Borough parks
Borough now covers fingerprinting costs for fire, ambulance, and recreation volunteers

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Meet the Team

Follow Joe McGuire

Follow Laura Fernandez

Follow Hovannes Bakalian

Get the latest updates

Follow Joe McGuire

Follow Laura Fernandez

Follow Hovannes Bakalian