Board of Health race is unclear as election approaches

Will there be two or three names on the ballot for the Board of Health?

According to the draft ballot posted on the town website, the answer is two: newcomers Susan Murray and Chester Tam.

However, incumbent Michelle Keith, previously confirmed with Dartmouth Week she was running for reelection. 

On Tuesday, March 4, Town Clerk Sarah Haskell-Arruda said while she received papers from challengers Murray and Tam, Keith had not taken out a nomination. The deadline for candidates to turn in and withdraw their nomination papers has passed, with the race for the Board of Health being the only one contested.

According to Keith, the Clerk’s office mailed her a document in December asking that she notify them if she intended to run for reelection. She said this document was sent to the wrong address, but she called in early January to let the office know she did intend to run for reelection.

“Everything seemed to be okay,” she said.

At the time of this writing, Keith is in Singapore for a work conference and doesn’t have access to the document for its exact wording, but she said she’s “pretty sure it indicated if I wished to run for reelection I had to tell them so they’d place me on the ballot.”

It is unclear at this time where the race lies for Keith, who said she intended to run for reelection in order to “help provide common-sense input to public health decisions,” especially in regard to giving guidance on health regulations.

As for the newcomers, Murray said she would like to focus on the town’s agriculture and Tam said he would like to make sure political agendas stay out of health policies.

Susan Murray

Susan Murray, who is currently the executive director at the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership, is running for the position because of her belief that the community’s well-being starts “where our food begins with our farms.”

As a farmer and a former scientist, Murray said she understands there’s a “critical link between sustainable agriculture and public health.”

Some of the issues Murray said she’s excited to work on include helping Dartmouth’s small businesses and farms by bringing their perspectives to the Board of Health, which she said could help the Board make better decisions regarding issues they can face.

“I feel pretty strongly that local farms don’t just grow our food, we grow community, and I’m committed to keeping Dartmouth a thriving, healthy place for all,” she said.

Murray has worked with the Board of Health in the past, working on permitting issues when she served on the agricultural commission and regulatory issues when she ran the Dartmouth Farmers Market.

“I feel I bring a level-headed, evidence based approach that blends scientific knowledge with real world practicality,” she said.

A Dartmouth native, Murray said she understands the “real world impact” of health policies for farmers, small businesses and families living in Dartmouth.

“If there’s one take home message, it’s that I’m really committed to this community and trying to do what’s right for this community,” she said.

Chester Tam

Chester Tam, who recently worked as the vice chair of Operations and Digital Media for the Massachusetts Trump 2024 Campaign, said he’s running for the Board of Health position because he believes the community “deserves transparency, accountability and common-sense policies when it comes to public health.”

Tam said that one of the most critical issues for him is ensuring that public health issues are rooted in science and facts and not influenced by political agendas.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen how decisions made by local, state and federal health organizations can have profound impacts on businesses, schools and families,” he said. “It’s essential that these policies prioritize community well-being and are designed with measurable outcomes in mind.”

Tam would also like to see that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely with health policies prioritizing individual rights and community well-being, he said, adding that he wants to make sure residents will have a strong voice in the decision-making process.

“Whether it’s handling a public health crisis or managing routine health initiatives, there must be clear communication with the public about how decisions are made and why they are necessary,” he said.

Tam also said that “we cannot allow blanket policies that infringe on the freedoms of our residents without substantial, factual justification,” adding that there needs to be a balance between safeguarding health and “respecting people's right to make informed decisions about their own well-being.”

James Griffith also took out nomination papers to run for the position, but has since withdrawn from the race, explaining that while he is a proponent of the Board of Health, now isn’t the right time for him to run.

“Maybe in the future,” he said.

To register to vote, residents can go to the Town Clerk’s office, located in Town Hall at 400 Slocum Road, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The final day to register to vote is Saturday, March 22 at 5 p.m. Residents can also register online.

The last day to request a mail-in ballot is Tuesday, March 25 with the election occurring on Tuesday, April 1 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Additional information about the election can be found on the Town of Dartmouth website.