Duff White Seeks Re-election on the Eve Before Preliminary
Attleboro City Councilor Duff White has announced he will run for re-election in the Ward 5 race.
Attleboro City Councilor Duff White has announced he will run a sticker campaign for re-election. The Ward 5 City Councilor sent a press release to Attleboro City Councilors, Mayor Kevin Dumas and the City Councilor Clerk today saying he changed his mind about running for the seat after last week's candidates forum.
"After months of rethinking what I expect of the job and how I approach the position and the withdrawal of Howard Levine, I am announcing that I will be conducting a sticker campaign for re-election," White said in the release.
Attleboro residents of Ward 5, who will be casting their vote at La Salette Shrine between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday, will have to either add a sticker with White's name and address on it to the ballot or will have to write White's name on the ballot in the "write-in" slot if they are voting for White.
White will be running against former City Councilor Jerry Chase and newcomber Jeremy Denlea.
"The wonderful thing about democracy is that anyone can run for office," Jeremy Denlea said. "I welcome Mr. White's entrance into the race."
Maryann Draine of the City's Election Office said she was notified of his bid for re-election this morning. "There is nothing at this point in time that we'd do," she said. "I can just tell my poll workers to be prepared that there is a write in."
White returned his nomination papers to City Hall in May unsigned.
"Since that time, aside from a family vacation out of the area, not a week has transpired without someone approaching and either expressing their disappointment at my decision or simply asking me outright to reconsider," he said.
White said his response to constituents remained the same, that it was the right decision for he and his family.
"After we returned from our family vacation, I contacted Mayor Dumas to explain the new ideas I had for our city inspired by what I had seen on vacation," White said. "Apparently you can take the councilor out of the city but cannot take the city out of the councilor."
Another factor in his decision was when Howard Levine, candidate for Ward 5 City Councilor, told White he was pulling out of the race against Jerry Chase and Jeremy Denlea.
"As word of Mr. Levine’s withdrawal from the race spread people began contacting me in earnest to run again," he said.
Several councilors asked White to run again after the forum, according to White.
"On Wednesday night, as I sat in the audience at the Candidate Forum and listened to everyone speak, I thought back over the previous three months: I had found a better balance between my family and City Council, I had run a successful summer sandlot program which saw 90 children play baseball for five weeks with hundreds of smiles, we have made significant progress towards enacting an ordinance regarding the dangerous and unhealthy process of gasification in Attleboro and, after a serious scare involving a manhunt for a child predator, we are inching closer to making our city a little safer for our children."
Duff White could not be reached for comment.
In This article
-
-
Attleboro City Hall
77 Park St, Attleboro, MA -
-
National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette
947 Park St, Attleboro, MA
Jacob
1:12 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
So, let me get this straight... you didn't want to represent Ward 5. Then you went on vacation, saw how much better other cities were than Attleboro and wanted to come and fix the city that you couldn't fix in your previous term? I will be voting tomorrow and I will not be voting for you Mr. White.
Jacob
1:22 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Councilor White outlines reasons for opting out of re-election
George W. Rhodes Sun Chronicle Tuesday, May 24, 2011
ATTLEBORO - The bloom is off the rose for Duff White, who after less than one term, has decided
to walk away from a city council seat he ardently sought in 2009. White says he’s unhappy with the
board’s record and is irked by the alleged attitudes of some of his colleagues and constituents. He
said a flurry of what he described as “personal attacks” sealed his decision.
The Ward 5 councilor - who was so eager to campaign for the seat two years ago that he returned his
nomination papers in one day - made the comments via email Monday in response to written questions
submitted by The Sun Chronicle.
The 44-year-old rookie councilor, who’s not been shy about expressing his opinion on matters like
the proposed child safety zone ordinance and tax classification changes, turned in his nomination
papers abruptly and unsigned last week, catching colleagues and constituents by surprise. While he
said he enjoys being a councilor “most of the time,” overall he said he’s disappointed in what he
believes is a lack of achievement by himself and the council.
“There are a number of factors, but the bottom line is that, for the amount of time away from my
family, I am dissatisfied with not being able to accomplish more substantive changes in our city,” he
said. “We should have been able to pass an effective child safety zone ordinance by now.
Jacob
1:23 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
We should have, as a body, come to a position and written an opinion to the mayor on the Ze-gen project.
We should have formed a special committee to look into drafting a comprehensive, multi-year approach
to the tax classification issue.” White took a swipe at some colleagues who he claims didn’t give him
much support when he tried to push those matters forward. “When I would approach other councilors
regarding these various topics, I received many reasons for not taking action,” he said.
“Doing my job to the best of my ability is my goal and the goal of several other councilors. I think if all
11 of us took the same approach, focusing on being the best councilor we can be, we could achieve great
progress in this city.” He first began to think about quitting in December, just a year after he took
office, but his decision was simplified because of what he described as “personal attacks.”
“It was a six-month-long decision that was made easier over the last two to three months because of
all of the personal attacks I have been subjected to,” he said. He did not immediately respond to a
request to specify the nature of those attacks. Meanwhile, White said he was disappointed with
constituents who seldom offered opinions until after a vote. “After a vote, more than a few felt
compelled to tell me that I voted wrong,” he said.
“Where were (they) before the vote?”
Sarah Wilberg
1:25 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
Jacob,
I was just about to link to the same exact article. Duff White doesn't want to be a City Councilor, so I plan to vote for someone who does!
Steven Scott
4:58 pm on Monday, September 19, 2011
It would be nice to hear the "new ideas" before writing in someone who said he’s disappointed in what he believes is a lack of achievement by himself and the council.
DAN DEVINE
6:29 am on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
REMEMBER THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 20, 2011? ~ JUST AS THE CITY COUNCILORS BEGAN TO VOTE, COUNCILOR DUFF WHITE GOT UP & WALKED AWAY & DID NOT RETURN UNTIL AFTER THE VOTING WAS COMPLETE. HE DID NOT RECUSE HIMSELF FROM THE VOTE, JUST SIMPLY WALKED OFF! * * * * * TIME FOR A CHANGE * * *
Steven Scott
4:17 pm on Tuesday, September 20, 2011
If you live in Attleboro,tune into ch.98 and let me know who you think looks the least interested who has their seat pushed back from the table and who will get your vote.