Brick Councilwoman Crate Appointed Mayor

BRICK, NJ — A day after John G. Ducey resigned as mayor of Brick Township, the Township Council appointed one of its own to take on the role.

Lisa Crate, who has served on the council since 2016, was chosen from three candidates to lead the township, becoming just the second woman to serve as mayor of the township. Crate will serve through Dec. 31. A special election will be held in November for the final two years of Ducey's mayoral term.

Crate, 52, who is a teacher in Jackson and president of the teachers union there, said she plans to continue the work that Ducey had done since he was elected mayor in 2013, noting a number of the programs and services Brick Township has added, including the Senior Shuttle, reviving SummerFest, adding the Farmers Market, along with improvements including renovating the townships' parks.

"We were able to keep municipal spending under control and slow the tax growth of previous administrations," Crate said, adding Ducey and the council "were guided by one principle: Do what is best for Brick Township. We have always put the people of Brick first in everything we do."

Crate, a Democrat, also set the tone for the election campaign that lies ahead, where the Republican Party will be looking to regain control of the mayor's office. The Republicans had been unable to unseat Ducey, who was so popular he received more than 63 percent of the vote in the 2021 election.

"It's not like there is a Democratic or Republican way to pave a road, or a Democratic or Republican way to collect garbage," Crate said. "We are here for our residents. It doesn't matter what our political affiliation is."

"I honestly feel like Brick Township is the model for what can be accomplished through unity and cooperation, not just here in town hall but when the community works together for common goals," she said.

"As mayor I will work tirelessly to ensure everything we do is done with that one goal in mind: Do what is best for Brick Township. "It was Mayor Ducey's guiding philosophy and I plan to follow his lead and continue in that legacy."

The township's Democratic Municipal Committee will need to choose three candidates for the council to select from to fill Crate's seat on the council; her council term is set to expire at the end of 2023 so the seat was set to be up for election in November.

The last female mayor of Brick Township was Carolyn Patetta, who served from Dec. 15, 1992-Dec. 31, 1993, after she was appointed to complete the term of Republican Stevan Zboyan, who resigned midway through his only mayoral term.