Brick Township Mayoral Election 2025: Lisa Crate

BRICK, NJ — Patch is publishing profiles of local candidates in the 2025 election, set for Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In Brick Township, voters will be casting ballots for mayor and for three seats on the Township Council. The council seats and mayor's seat are four-year terms.

The mayoral race pits Democrat Lisa Crate against Republican Madeline Colagiovanni Iannarone. The council slates are Democrats Heather deJong, Dan Ward and Rocco Lepore and Republicans Lisa Reina, Greg Cohen and Perry Albanese.

The candidates were asked the same questions by email in early October. Patch is publishing the answers from the candidates who have replied. Here are the answers from Lisa Crate.

Name: Lisa Crate

Age: 54

Family: Will (husband); William (son); Colleen (daughter)

Education: Bachelors Degree (Psychology and Education); Masters Degree +30 (Education)

Occupation: Retired teacher (over 30 years) and Mayor of Brick Township

Overdevelopment has been a hot-button discussion for years, with every proposed business sparking discussions about traffic and what will serve Brick Township residents well. What ways do you believe Brick can respond to the concerns?

Ocean County has experienced the fastest growth of any county in New Jersey—but not Brick. Here in Brick, we’ve successfully managed to prevent overdevelopment. Our population has remained stable, and we’ve halted all high-density residential construction.

For the past 12 years, the Brick Democrats have held the majority on the Township Council. During that time, not a single new apartment complex has been approved.

In contrast, when the Brick Republicans were in control — and my opponent, Madeline Iannarone, served on the Zoning Board — two major apartment complexes were approved, including the one behind ShopRite. Ms. Iannarone voted in favor of the New Visions complex, which has since led to increased traffic and congestion in the ShopRite Plaza area.

We’ve taken a different approach. By strictly enforcing our zoning laws and prioritizing the preservation of open space, we’ve protected Brick from overdevelopment. Both the Ducey and Crate administrations have made open space preservation a top priority, resulting in more than 800 acres permanently protected.

Most recently, we stopped a proposed development of 60 homes in Breton Woods, preserving 31 acres of forest as open space. In the past year alone, we’ve preserved three separate parcels of land, with plans to protect three more in the coming year.

The issue of homelessness in Ocean County is not going away. Rising rent costs combined with scarce availability have pushed even moderate-income residents to the brink and in some cases left them homeless. What role should Brick have in assisting those in need?

Brick Township works closely with the nonprofit community to support all our residents in need. We have a particular obligation to support our veterans, who have given so much to our country and our community. Brick is partnering with Homes Now to provide handicapped-accessible one- and two-bedroom apartments reserved for veterans in need of a safe affordable place to stay. It’s the least we can do for those who served our country.

The Brick Housing Authority also provides affordable units for the disabled and the elderly and housing vouchers for families in need.

What is the issue facing Brick that you believe is the most pressing and how would you approach solving it?

Let’s start with the facts — Brick is not, and will never be, a sanctuary city. In fact, in 2019 we unanimously passed a resolution declaring Brick is not a sanctuary city, and this resolution is still in force. My opponents are just trying to change the subject from their own record of raising taxes and supporting overdevelopment.

As Mayor, my focus is keeping Brick safe and affordable. We’re proud of our police department, which is now fully staffed with a record 146 officers. Thanks to their hard work, crime is down 44 percent, and Brick is safer than ever. And we’ve accomplished this while keeping taxes stable and improving services and quality of life for our residents.