Select Board candidate profile: Frank Condez

Frank Condez hopes to bring more transparency to the Select Board if elected to his first term  on the board.

“I would bring a new, positive energy to the board,” Condez said.

Condez is a former Dartmouth Police sergeant. He was terminated from the department in 2014 after accusing then-Police Chief Timothy Lee of child exploitation. The Bristol County District Attorney's Office investigated the accusation and found it baseless.

He is currently suing the town and officials including his opponent, Shawn McDonald, over his termination and a department-issued firearm that went missing.

Condez emphasized that his goals in running were to bring civility and decorum to interactions on the board and with the public.

He is concerned with the Select Board’s use of executive sessions, and alleged that members of the board were discussing topics that should have been done in public behind closed doors.

Condez filed a complaint in 2014 with the Attorney General’s office alleging that the Board violated open meeting law in eight meetings in which they discussed a possible case against him. The Attorney General’s office agreed on seven of the eight counts.

Of those who were on the board at the time, only McDonald and Stanley Mickelson are still on the Select Board.

Condez said that he thinks that School Resource Officers should be added to each of the elementary schools. The middle and high schools already have school resource officers.

“I think it’s something that should seriously be considered to have an SRO assigned to every school,” Condez said. “It’s a standard of care issue.”

He said that he thinks each member of the board should come to meetings prepared to understand the issues that are brought before them, and should be mindful of issues that could create liability for the town.

Condez could not comment on his lawsuit, but stressed he will still be able to serve on the Select Board. 

“I think that it’s very easy to check the egos at the door and realize that you’re there for the benefit of the town,” Condez said. “Selectman Condez can separate himself from plaintiff Condez very easily.”