Lincoln Police Captain Philip Gould Eyes Town Administrator Run

LINCOLN, RI — Philip Gould has asked the state Ethics Commission for advice about running in an upcoming special election to become the next Town Administrator while concurrently keeping his job as Administrative Captain with the Lincoln Police Department.

Gould appeared before the nine-member ethics commission on Tuesday seeking an advisory opinion about running to replace former Town Administrator Joseph Almond. Gould on March 19 had written a letter to the commission seeking guidance.

“I would like to know if my interpretation (of state ethics law) is correct or not, as well as if there are any other types of restrictions I should be aware of,” Gould wrote.

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The commission gave their blessing to Gould’s candidacy with certain caveats. In adopting their April 27 advisory opinion, they said Gould may not use public time or resources to conduct his campaign, may not solicit campaign contributions from subordinates, and must conduct all campaign work on his own time, with his own personnel, supplies, and equipment. Also, there must be no understanding that any campaign contributions would affect his official actions as police captain.

Gould, who attended the hearing remotely, said he understands that lines must be drawn. “There will be no conflicts between the candidate Gould versus Captain Philip Gould,” he promised.

Gould told the commission he plans to take time off for the campaign in the form of vacation and compensatory time. However, he said some matters might still require his attention, including an upcoming recruitment drive and hiring process, serving as Public Information Officer, overseeing mandated training, and training subordinates on his duties. He said that day-to-day supervision of officers is conducted by the Operations Captain, and that he only gets involved in personnel decisions in the absence of the chief. He said his normal working hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photo courtesy Philip Gould
Gould in his letter referred to a provision in the Lincoln Town Charter. “Our town charter clearly states that a town employee cannot hold an elected position in the Town of Lincoln, but does not prohibit a town employee from seeking an elected position,” he wrote. Gould said a precedent exists as the town clerk previously ran for town administrator.

A member of the commission said they must stick to issues relevant to state conflict of interest law, and not offer an opinion relevant to the town charter.

“I just think that we made need to make clear that that's not within our jurisdiction, so to speak,” said commissioner Lauren Jones, a lawyer appointed to the commission this year by Gov. Dan McKee.

Gould said he had spoken with Town Solicitor Anthony DeSisto and gained confirmation that the charter would not prohibit him from running for town administrator while also on payroll as a police captain.

Jones asked Gould directly if the purpose of his inquiry “is so you don’t lose the job you have while you’re running for another one.” Gould answered in the affirmative and said he would resign as police captain if elected to the town administrator post.

Commissioner J. Douglas Bennett advised Gould to come back at any time to seek additional advice, saying that it’s a “super-sensitive issue” and that “anything having to do with elections or politics...is usually volatile at best.”

Vice chairperson Arianne Corrente, a resident of Lincoln, thanked Gould for his service while echoing Bennett's remarks.

"I know you're quite active in town, and I know you provide a lot of direct service to folks," she said. She said she noticed that earlier that morning Gould had posted to Facebook about a cybersecurity training the police department is doing for seniors in town.

"I would just echo the caution from commissioner Bennett to be really careful about all those kinds of things. Even timing of social media posts can be, um, something that folks will take a really hard look at," Corrente said.

The commission unanimously voted to accept a staff recommendation presented by Staff Attorney Teodora Popova Papa. The recommendation formed the basis for their formal advisory opinion that clears the way under the state Code of Ethics for Gould to run.

Gould has been the police department’s administrative captain for eight years, and worked for the town in various capacities for nearly three decades.

Reached on his cell phone after work hours, Gould said he has not made any formal declaration that he is running, but is seriously considering launching a campaign. He said he wanted to make sure there would be a clear way forward before proceeding. Gould said he would have run in 2022, to align with the date of his mandatory retirement, but that Almond's resignation prompted him to act now.

"I have sought guidance from the RI Ethics commission because I am strongly considering serving my town in another capacity," Gould later wrote in a statement. "After receiving guidance from this committee, I am now able to have a serious conversation with my wife my family, and those closest to me, about how I would be best able to serve my community. For the past 29 years I have served the town with an unbridled passion and I look forward to exploring other avenues in which I may be able to serve."

Lincoln Police Chief Brian Sullivan is currently serving as interim town administrator. The Town Council unanimously approved the temporary appointment on March 19, after Almond resigned following 15 years in the leadership post. Almond stepped aside after accepting a job as Gov. Dan McKee’s deputy chief of staff.

A special election to fill the Town Administrator post has been scheduled for Sept. 7, according to Lincoln Town Clerk Lillian Silva. If a primary is needed, it will be held on August 3. Candidate declarations are due on June 24 and 25, and papers are due back in the clerk’s office on July 6.

It’s not clear who else will run for the position, but The Valley Breeze last month said it confirmed that “numerous familiar names in town politics are interested” in running to replace Almond. In an updated story, the Breeze mentions Sen. Thomas Paolino, School Committee member John Picozzi, and former District 46 Rep. Jack Lyle as potential candidates. Perennial candidate John Cullen has declared his candidacy for the post.