Dedham 2020 Election Heats Up After Debate

DEDHAM, MA — Just a week away from Dedham's town election and a debate on Monday showed some races heating up. There are four races on the ballot as well as Town Meeting Member seats, and two new candidates brought forward questions about incumbent's integrity.

The four races on the ballot include Select Board, School Committee, Parks and Recreation Commission and Board of Health. On Monday night, the candidates in each race called into a Zoom debate, hosted by Women in Democracy in Dedham (WINDD) and co-hosted by the Dedham Junior Women's Club. The debates for the Parks and Recreation Commission race and the Board of Health race heated up when new candidates in both races directly called out an incumbent in their respective race.

Dedham's Parks and Recreation Commission race has three candidates vying for the two open seats. Incumbents Jonathan Briggs and Jim Maher are defending their seats on the commission against Alix O'Connell.

Briggs serves as the chair of the commission and just completed his first term. Briggs told Patch, while the commission can always do better at communicating, in the last year he feels they've made an effort to more openly listen to the public. "I've been trying to lead by example," Briggs said. He feels the focus of the commission, in the age of the coronavirus and limited summer programming, should be bringing programs and activities out to community parks for residents to take advantage of.

Maher has been a commissioner in Dedham for 18 years and currently sits on the Parks and Recreation Commission. In his candidate profile on WINDD's website, Maher also says communication is a priority. "We need to do a better job of letting our residents know what great opportunities are available to them," Maher said in his profile.

O'Connell is a member of the Dedham Master Plan Committee and runs the Dedham Youth Lacrosse League. She has run for commissioner twice before. While improving the quality of recreation activities is one of O'Connell's priorities, she is also set on "rebuilding trust" between the community and the commission.

An audience question at Monday's debate mentioned reports of unprofessional behavior by members of the Parks and Recreation Commission and asked candidates how they would ensure the commission treated residents with respect.

O'Connell's response was "I think the biggest thing that all of us can do at the moment, is to vote Jim Maher off the board." She went on to say she has dealt with people who claimed they were intimidated by Maher and called for more accountability for commissioners.

In his closing statement, Maher said the things O'Connell brought up could not be addressed at the moment, "until there's an executive session that we need to address these allegations, and they are allegations only."

Patch could not reach Maher for comment in time for publication.

O'Connell told Patch it wasn't a split-second decision she made, when calling out Maher, but rather one she thought about long before the debate.

"I've experienced myself, harassment and bullying from Mr. Maher and had a lot of people who've had similar experiences speak to me," O'Connell said on her decision. She added that while she wanted to keep the focus on her policies, she felt compelled to speak out.

Several Dedham residents contacted Patch after Monday's debate to share their experiences with the Parks and Recreation Commission. At least three of the five people Patch spoke to said they had experienced some form of bullying from Maher.

The Board of Health had its own heated debate. Incumbent Leanne Jasset is defending her seat against Allison Staton. Jasset has served on the board for more than 20 years and is the owner of Dedham Pharmacy. Staton is the vice chair of the town’s Drug and Alcohol Task Force and has been a Town Meeting Member for Precinct 6 since 2011.

For both candidates, communication with the town and programming in the era of the coronavirus and helping educate residents about the virus and the risks are priorities.

During Monday's debate, a question about the opioid crisis came up, which led Staton to bring up a drug violation complaint from 2014 against Jasset.

The complaint, which was closed based on a consent agreement, said Jasset filled 123 oxycodone prescriptions, totaling over 20,000 pills, in one year that were not written for legitimate medical purposes, while working as a pharmacist at H.L. Wardle Drug. Jasset's pharmacy license was on probation for three years, according to the consent agreement. No charges were filed.

"It was important to share relevant information, particularly how that information impacts someone's ability to do their job as a public official," Staton said, "I think it [the complaint] has made it challenging to lead the discussion on opioids and addiction — to profit off of addiction in such a way makes it challenging to be a leader in that way."

Jasset read a prepared statement she wrote with her lawyer in response on Monday's debate. She also sent Patch a statement, which reads in part:

"I have never hid the fact that there was an investigation at a Pharmacy where I was employed as a staff Pharmacist. The allegations made by my opponent during Monday's forum were outrageous, and a deliberate, self-serving misrepresentation of the facts! Every tablet dispensed by the pharmacy had a valid prescription by a licensed physician. Furthermore, although not required by law, in all cases of maintenance pain management I always demanded and received letters of medical necessity."

"In my 42 years of uninterrupted service to this community as a registered pharmacist, I have been committed to maintaining the highest standards of my profession. The unfounded allegations by my opponent and the attack on my personal and professional integrity amount to nothing more than a desperate political attack! In my many years of campaigning for public office I have run on my reputation and service and have never participated in gutter politics! I don't intend to start now!"

The full candidates' forum can be found online. Dedham will hold its election on June 27 which includes a ballot question on the so-called Dedham Heritage Rail Trail.