Election ballot takes shape with one contested race

Four candidates will vie for a seat on the Select Board in this spring’s town election, with all other offices uncontested.

On the April 7 ballot will be one seat on the Select Board, two on the School Committee, two on the Board of Health, one on the Planning Board, one on the Board of Accessors, two on the Library Board of Trustees, one on the Housing Authority and one on the Parks and Recreation Board.

The deadline to return nomination papers for certification was Tuesday, Feb. 17, with 14 residents returning their forms to run for one of the 11 available positions.

Ten incumbents are running for reelection, including School Committee members Kathleen Amaral and Elizabeth Coughlin.

Candidates have until Tuesday, March 31 to withdraw from the race, so the ballot may change. This is also the last day to request a mail-in ballot.

Those not yet registered to vote have until Saturday, March 28 to do so. To register, visit the Town Clerk’s office in Town Hall at 400 Slocum Road.

For more information, visit the election information page on the Town of Dartmouth website.

Select Board

Four names will appear on the ballot for the single three-year seat on the Select Board, since Stanley Mickelson, who served on the board for 12 years, isn’t seeking reelection.

Nathan Silva is an active member of the Finance Committee and is a Town Meeting member. He has worked as a construction manager for 16 years, managing large-scale commercial construction projects. 

“I think I could make a positive difference for our community,” Silva said. 

He said he would focus on strong schools and long-term planning with a sense of urgency. He also wants to make the process more transparent for members of the town. He wants to make sure it’s simplified, without as much "jargon." 

Curtis Nunes is in his second term on the Board of Assessors. His grandchildren will be the fifth generation in his family to attend the Dartmouth public schools. 

“I just want to get involved and volunteer my time and try to make this town even better,” he said. 

Nunes said he wants to bring his concerns about the town’s wastewater and sewer situation to the Select Board. He said he has noticed other residents share this worry. He also wants to get town employees access to better healthcare, with a larger percentage of the insurance being paid for by the town. 

Al Oliveira has also announced he will be running. According to Oliveira’s LinkedIn page, he has served as the director of city operations for the City of Fall River since 2023.

Oliveira couldn’t be reached at time of publication.

Kevin Melo said he has always wanted to run for the Select Board. He worked for the Dartmouth Cemetery Commission, served on the Board of Appeals, spent 11 years on the Planning Board and is in his 12th year as an alternate member.

“I look at this as the capstone of my career,” said Melo, “Help the community.”

He said he doesn’t have a set agenda for the Select Board and wants to help Dartmouth as much as he can. 

School Committee

On the School Committee, Elizabeth Coughlin and Kathleen Amaral are both up for reelection and will be running unopposed.

Coughlin has been working in the nursery industry, and has been on the School Committee for three years.

“Here in Dartmouth we have good schools, but without support that could change,” said Coughlin. “I have advocated for the needs of our schools to be not only good, but to be better.”

She said she supports the new strategic plan, and wants to continue funding for high-quality education and professional development for teachers. She also said she wants to work in the school department and town to fund all education needs.

Amaral, who has served on the School Committee for nine years. She previously worked at a nonprofit that connected families with kids with disabilities to resources and helped in the classrooms. She was also the chair of the district Special Education Parent Advisory Council for 11 years.

Board of Health

James Griffith is running for a one-year seat on the Board of Health, and incumbent Emily Michele Olmstead is running for a three-year term on the Board of Health. 

Griffith is a retired professor of microbiology and has been involved in healthcare for his entire adult life. 

“The things the Board of Health does … is just something that I would like to give back to the community,” he said.

While he has no specific platform, Griffith said  that every Board of Health in the state is understaffed and under-resourced, regardless of the fact that he thinks the Dartmouth Board of Health is “exceptional.”

Incumbent Olmstead couldn’t be reached for comment. 

Other boards

Planning Board incumbent Kevin Estes will be running unopposed for a second term.

Robert Michaud is running unopposed for reelection to a three-year position on the Board of Assessors. 

There are two seats available for the Library Board of Trustees, which is a three-year term. Incumbents Lisa Anne Tufano and Joan Marie Proulx are both running for reelection. 

Proulx said she plans to continue running the libraries “well,” making them a “joyful place” for everyone, and add new resources to keep up with the times. 

Tufano couldn’t be reached for comment. 

David Brodeur is running unopposed for his incumbent seat on the Housing Authority, which is a five year position. Brodeur has served on the Housing Authority for eight years.

Sherri Tetrault is running for reelection to the Parks and Recreation Board for a three-year term. Tetrault joined the board in 2013, and before that was on the Recreation Commission for four years.