Tax Increase, Road Improvements In Proposed Brick 2026 Budget

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township Mayor Lisa Crate introduced the proposed budget for 2026, one that contains a tax increase but also makes investments in several roads.

The $126,243,931 proposed budget is up 2.8 percent from 2025, Crate said. The proposed tax rate increase is 3.2 cents, which she said equals about $98 a year on a house at the township's median assessment.

The municipal purposes tax rate — the portion that the town controls — was 81.2 cents per $100 of assessed value in 2025 and would rise to 84.5 cents in 2026, if the budget is approved as presented.

(The overall property tax rate homeowners pay in Brick also includes the school district taxes, the fire district tax, an open space tax for Brick of 10 cents per $100, the Ocean County Library system, Ocean County's property tax and the county's open space program tax. In 2025, Brick Township property owners paid $2.664 per $100 of assessed value plus a tax of a few cents per $100 for the fire districts.

The biggest impact on the 2026 budget was the sharp increase in the cost of health insurance. Brick Township is seeing an increase of $2.1 million for health insurance for its employees.

In addition, skyrocketing utility and fuel costs are putting stress on the township's budget, she said. The township plans to continue to offer the programs and services that residents very much want and enjoy, including the farmers' market at Windward Beach Park, SummerFest and programs through the senior center.

"Our senior services are a lifeline to those living on fixed incomes or those living independently who need help getting around," Crate said.

The largest portion of Brick's proposed budget is dedicated to emergency services, including police and emergency medical response, with about $1 of every $4 going to those services.

Crate said the township will be spending more money than ithas in more than a decade on roadway improvements, with projects planned for Lions Head South, Herbertsville Estates, parts of Riviera Beach, Midstreams, sections of Greenbriar, the Metedeconk area, Highland Point, Cedar Croft and Mallard Point.

The park planned for Mallard Point is expected to finally break ground within a few weeks, Crate said.

There is drainage construction underway that will continue, along with road elevations, and pedestrian improvements are planned for Brick's portion of Herbertsville Road and for Princeton Avenue.

The township also has continued to cut its long-term debt, from $168 million when former mayor J0hn Ducey took office in 2015 to about $119 million, Crate said.

The full hearing on the budget is set for the April 28 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in the municipal building.

Republican council members Lisa Reina and Gregory Cohen said they will be looking at every line for possible cuts.

Note: The potential tax rate for 2026 has been corrected. Patch regrets the brain fart math error.