Daniel Freitas Runs For Fairhaven Selectman

Fairhaven residents will have four choices for Selectman when they vote in the Annual Town Elections on Monday.

Among them will be Daniel Freitas, who currently serves on the town’s Board of Public Works.

Freitas told WBSM’s Phil Paleologos that, as a member of the board, he has been directly involved in negotiations with employee unions.

He feels other officials should do the same which is why he opposes a request from Town Counsel for money to pay for an outside attorney.

“You should do the same thing, it’s part of your job,” said Freitas “but now we’re outsourcing it to somebody else, I don’t think that’s fiscally responsible, I think we try to keep costs down not have them go up.”

Freitas also discussed the change in the town’s government structure where they went from having an Executive Secretary to a Town Administrator.

Freitas said he supports this change and he thinks that the current Town Administrator Mark Rees is doing a good job.

However, he says he doesn't agree with giving Rees compensation so he can use his own car saying Rees should be issued a town vehicle like other town employees.

“If you’re in your own vehicle and you get into an accident, is it the town’s problem? Is it his problem?” said Freitas “We should have our public officials in a public car so people could identify them if they have a question.”

Freitas also feels that the only way to combat the region’s opioid crisis is for all the cities and towns on the Southcoast to work together.

“A regional approach is better because everyone potentially gets on the page and works toward this,” said Freitas “because it’s not a New Bedford problem, it’s not a Fairhaven problem, it’s everybody’s problem, it’s not localized to one area it’s everywhere right now.”

The Annual Town Election takes place Monday April 4.