BRICK, N.J. — Madeline Iannarone, the current president of the Brick Township Board of Education, is launching a bid for mayor just months after approving a school budget that raised property taxes and cut jobs.
Iannarone is seeking to unseat incumbent Mayor Lisa Crate in the November general election, a move that follows a contentious tenure on the school board marked by deep budget cuts and a tax hike.
Under Iannarone’s leadership, the Board of Education approved a $171.2 million school budget for the 2025–26 year, which included a 5.14% increase in the property tax levy. That translates to an additional $182.90 annually for a home assessed at the township average of $301,320, with the school tax rate rising from $1.2148 to $1.2755 per $100 of assessed value.
The district also eliminated a net of seven full-time positions in the latest budget, including 12 support roles and a part-time instructional position, while hiring six new staff for special education needs.
That follows even steeper proposed cuts in the 2024–25 school year, when the board voted on eliminating 50 positions — including 35 instructional roles. Reductions included 12 high school teachers, 11 middle school teachers, 12 preschool and elementary school teachers, along with 7.5 basic skills teachers and 8.5 support staff.
Despite public concern over the cuts and tax increases, Iannarone is positioning herself for a new role in township leadership. No official campaign announcement has been released, but she is expected to be the Republican challenger to Democrat Lisa Crate this fall.
