New Councilmember Appointed In Brick After Resignation

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Council has a new member, appointed to fill a seat vacated by a resignation.

Dan Ward, 37, was appointed Tuesday night to fill the seat of Vince Minichino, who resigned from his seat due to what Council Vice President Derrick Ambrosino said were personal reasons.

The exact date of Minichino's resignation was not announced during the meeting, but Councilman Greg Cohen said it was at the end of September. Minichino had attended the Sept. 22 council meeting.

Minichino, a Democrat, was first elected to the council in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023. His term expires Dec. 31, 2027.

Ward, a Democrat, ran for council in 2025 but finished fifth in the voting as Republicans Cohen, Lisa Reina and Perry Albanese won their seats on the council.

The vote to appoint Ward was split along party lines, with Cohen, Reina and Albanese voting against and Ambrosino, Council President Steve Feinman and Councilwoman Melissa Travers — all Democrats — voting in favor. Mayor Lisa Crate cast the deciding vote to appoint Ward.

Ward was chosen from among three Democrats. Also nominated was Susan Lydecker, who served on the council from 2012 until she resigned in 2015, and Nancy Ellson, who ran for a seat on the Brick Township Board of Education but did not win.

There was no comment from the three Republicans during the vote on appointing Ward, but during council members' comments Cohen was sharply critical of the Democrats' move to fill the seat.

Cohen called it political manipulation, saying Minichino should have resigned sooner, which would have put the remainder of his term on the November ballot.

"Had he resigned Sept. 1, it would have gone to the voters," Cohen said.