Freetown Select Board Unanimously Promotes Two Officers to Sergeant

FREETOWN — May 27, 2026 — Freetown Select Board promotes two officers to sergeant ahead of a budget-uncertain Town Meeting. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to promote Patrick Lee to sergeant effective May 27 and Douglas Mungin effective May 28, acting on a written recommendation from the chief of police following a competitive process that included testing and interviews of four finalists; a formal swearing-in is set for June 15. The board also formalized a plan to recoat the oldest section of Freetown Elementary School's roof and repair identified wet spots using existing funds rather than waiting for a Massachusetts School Building Authority grant that opens in January 2027, with Chair Debra Aguiar noting "we would have no guarantee that we'd get that grant." A settlement with Verica Construction Incorporated over a Fire Station 3 addition dispute was announced — no lawsuit was filed and no monetary concessions beyond the original contract were made. The board approved a $185 inter-departmental transfer to cover a moderator salary shortfall and unanimously passed a road-opening permit for 55 South Main Street. Aguiar closed the meeting in a "waiting pattern" on the school budget, with Lakeville's override having failed and the School Committee potentially voting a new budget that same evening ahead of Monday's Town Meeting.