Crate team announces slate for brick municipal election

BRICK, N.J. — The Crate Team for Brick has announced its Democratic candidates for the upcoming municipal election, with Mayor Lisa Crate and Councilwoman Heather deJong seeking re-election alongside council candidates Dan Ward and Rocco Lepore.

“We have kept taxes stable and that’s our most important job,” said Crate. “It hasn’t been easy with inflation making everything cost more, but just like families across Brick, we are finding ways to do more with less.”

Crate, the first woman directly elected as Brick’s mayor, has prioritized debt reduction, open space preservation, and public safety. She has expanded senior services, maintained a low municipal tax increase, and increased funding for the Brick Police.

DeJong, a member of the Business and Finance Committee, has focused on fiscal responsibility and senior services. She has played a key role in the township’s debt reduction plan and supports the Buy in Brick Property Tax Rebate program.

Ward, a chemistry professor at Ocean County College, has been active in environmental efforts and township planning. Lepore, a longtime union carpenter and advocate for local labor, serves on the Brick Township Board of Adjustment and was instrumental in passing a Project Labor Agreement ordinance benefiting local workers.

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