BRICK – This year there is a mayoral election in Brick. The Democratic incumbent Lisa Crate is running against Republican candidate John Catalano.
In separate emails, the candidates were asked the following questions:
What is your employment?
What experience do you have in public office and in civic groups?
Briefly describe the biggest issues facing Brick and how you plan on addressing them.
Is there anything new that you would want to do in Brick Township?
What do you want to do for the next four years if elected?
Here are their verbatim answers in alphabetical order of the candidate’s last name.
John Catalano:
“I have been the proud owner of Country Store Jewelers, LLC, for over 30 years.
“I served as a Brick Councilman from August 2011 to December 2011. I currently serve as a State Assemblyman for the 10th Legislative District for the past 4 years.
“Stepping down from my role in the Assembly to pursue the position of mayor was not an easy decision to make, particularly without the certainty of the political outcome. My motivation for entering the race stems from my love for this town and the residents. I am eager to bring my knowledge and experience from the State Legislature back to Brick Township to ensure that Brick remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.
John Catalano
“I have been a member of various organizations including being past treasurer of the Brick Kiwanis Club, a member of the Brick Township Chamber of Commerce and a 45-year member of the Masonic Lodge. I have dedicated my time for over 20 years as Secretary and Treasurer of the Bobby Buecker Memorial Foundation, a charity that helps local families who are struggling with expenses that are caused by catastrophic medical bills.
“First, over-development. Our land use committee will take a vigilant look at the most pressing ordinances affecting our over development and make sure that they are being strictly enforced.
“I will suggest new ordinances, if any should be needed, concerning over-development.
“Second, traffic and congestion. Since most of this problem stems from our state and county roads that run through Brick it is imperative to have an open discussion with both the State DOT and our County Commissioners. Pinpointing the most congested areas and focusing on them with the appropriate partners will start the conversation to see what relief can be given.
“All that Brick has become, and all that Brick will be is rooted in the talents, dedication, and hard work of the people. A significant shift we need is to return to receiving the rightful state funding for our schools. Brick Township places a great emphasis on both academics and athletics, and it is imperative that we receive our adequate fair share of funding to encourage families to choose Brick as their place to raise their children.
“One of the greatest things about Brick, and the thing I love the most about it, is the people. We work together to maintain a vision of the future centered around safety and community. Recently, Brick Township has seen a rise in criminal activity and this situation requires immediate attention and action. We will accomplish this through meetings with our public safety committee, the chief of police and other law enforcement officials from the township, County Sheriff’s office and County Prosecutor’s Office. I want to bring our township back to being one of the safest places in America to live.
“In closing, I am confident that under my leadership, I will run a government that is efficient, effective, and fiscally sound. Continuing to ensure that Brick remains affordable for our senior citizens and young families.”
Lisa Crate:
“I am a teacher, and I work in the Jackson School District.
“I was elected twice to Brick Council, as part of the Ducey Team. Since 2023, I have served as mayor of Brick. I have served on Business and Finance, Recreation, Public Works and Land Use committees.
“I am a member of the Board of Tooney’s Last Resort, a local animal rescue organization specializing in animals that are hard to home. I am a member of the Epiphany parish. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with our local veteran groups on projects including the Brick Fallen Heroes, which honor our Brick veterans, and the restoration of the Brick Veteran Memorial in front of town hall.
“As Mayor, I am responsible to the residents for the future of our town. My top priority is fiscal responsibility. We must provide needed services while keeping taxes stable.
“Mayor John Ducey, my predecessor, has given us a road map to follow. When Mayor Ducey was first elected, Brick finances were in disarray due to the fiscal mismanagement, waste, and corruption. We worked together to put Brick on sound financial ground and this needs to continue. This year, there was no tax increase in municipal taxes. We will continue to reduce municipal debt, actively acquire grants for capital projects, and look for ways to save.
“We also must prevent the overdevelopment that is threatening the quality of life in neighboring towns. We can all see what is happening in Lakewood and Toms River where development is out of control. Here in Brick, we have completely stopped the development of new multi-family housing, and are actively acquiring open space. Most recently, we stopped the large housing development planned for Breton Woods. We permanently preserved the property as open space and we primarily used grant money, to minimize the impact on our taxpayers.
Lisa Crate
“We are continuing to work to bring Wegmans and Whole Foods to Brick to join the other newly opened businesses. We’ve extended our existing store front ordinance in order to encourage new businesses to locate in vacant properties.
“I’m also interested in expanding and introducing new events that build our sense of community and help us get to know our neighbors. For instance, the first annual Longest Table was a huge success, where over one hundred residents met for a community meal. I’d like to expand it next year. I’m also working to make art more a part of our community – we are discussing public murals, art classes, and community art shows.
“I will continue the policies of former Mayor John Ducey. Fiscal responsibility, stopping overdevelopment and independent leadership with a focus on Brick. We don’t need partisan politics in Brick. We need to work together to make Brick better.”
The general election will be held on Tuesday November 7. The mayoral election is for the remaining two years of Ducey’s term. The council race is for four, four-year terms.
Catalano is running with Mary Jonas Buckley, Theresa Gallagher, James Palmisano, and Rocco Palmieri.
Crate is running with Councilman Vince Minichino, Councilman Derrick Ambrosino, Steve Feinman, and Councilwoman Melissa Travers.
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