Leland Dingee Will Not Seek Re-Election to Town Council This Year

Longtime Braintree official and Councilor-at-Large Leland Dingee, who served as the town's first Town Council President, will not seek re-election in November.

Dingee announced his decision at the end of Tuesday night's annual Town Meeting, the sixth since Braintree changed forms of government. Mayor Joseph Sullivan's $106 million budget received unanimous approval.

The East Braintree resident said that he and his wife Linda made the decision over the last few months. Both are retired and have had brushes with heart trouble in the past and will use Dingee's retirement from the council as an opportunity to see more of the world.

Cruises, Disney World and criss-crossing the country by car await, after Dingee hands over his seat next January. The councilor said he does not have anyone in mind for the seat, but that he chose to announce now rather than wait to give candidates time to prepare.

"Running at-large is quite an undertaking," Dingee said. "I don't know anyone who is interested, I just hope they are."

Other potential open seats in the fall election include District 5, where Ronald DeNapoli has blamed illness on his many absences this term, and District 2, where John Mullaney has been weighing whether or not to run again for several months.

Sullivan fondly remembered working with Dingee in the days and months after the switch in government, when Sullivan took the mayorship and Dingee was the clear choice for first council president. They would talk about the responsibilities of the different branches while Town Hall was being remodeled around them, Sullivan said.

"You were the conscience of the council and you remain that today," the mayor said.

Dingee said he considers his role in shaping the new Town Charter and taking on leadership of the first council his proudest accomplishments over the last three-plus decades of serving Braintree.

A fight to keep Clean Harbors from setting up a hazardous waste disposal facility 30 years ago pulled Dingee into public service after he moved to Braintree from Roslindale.

He worked for a long time for Sun Life Financial in Wellesley and throughout the years has been a member of Town Meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Capital Planning Committee, the Norfolk County Advisory Board, the Board of Selectmen (which he chaired for two years), and much more.

"Lee is going to be sorely missed by this town," Mullaney said.

Dingee promised to remain involved wth the town, maybe even keep his weekly meetings with the mayor.

"I'll be around," he said. "If you ever want my opinion, I'm glad to give it."