Candidate for
Council Member; Borough of Swarthmore

Ralph Jacobs was first elected to Swarthmore Borough Council in 2007 and is running for reelection this year. He is currently Vice-President of Council, Chair of the Public Safety Committee and a member of the Finance and Planning & Zoning Committees.

In the almost 20 years that Ralph has lived in Swarthmore with his wife, Joanna, and their three children, he has found community involvement to be among the most rewarding aspects of life in this unique town: from the math room at SRS, to coaching SRA soccer, to being a host parent and academic advisor in the ABC program. He views his service on Borough Council as another opportunity to contribute to this town which has given so much to him and his family.

Ralph is an attorney in private practice with a bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier in his career he served as a federal prosecutor.

Ralph believes that Swarthmore is filled with talented people of all ages and backgrounds who put tremendous time and energy into the activities and organizations that weave the unique fabric of this place. He has tried to build on our tradition of citizen involvement by encouraging even more people share their ideas and expertise as Borough Council confronts the challenge of preserving what is best about our town in today's increasingly complex and expensive world.

It is Ralph's strong belief that members of council should be good listeners, taking in all points of view on important issues, and should articulate to the community the reasons behind the actions taken by council. Whether making difficult budget decisions, developing new zoning ordinances, or finding ways to make Swarthmore greener and more friendly to bicyclists and pedestrians, Council functions best when it openly and carefully considers all points of view. He welcomes the opportunity to discuss borough issues with any member of the community.