CUMBERLAND — Robert Dias, a candidate for the District 1 Town Council seat, dropped out of the race this week, leaving incumbent council member Antonio J. Albuquerque to fend off Thomas Tougas in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Dias, 41, of 23 Abbott St., says he is throwing his support to Tougas. “I initially ran for the office due to my disappointment in Mr. Albuquerque’s lack of interest in the voters of District 1,” he said in a statement. “When I heard Tom Tougas was running, and saw the work he was putting into it, I decided to back out.”

Dias says he was acquainted with Tougas prior to the election but did not know he was running. “I know he’s a hard worker like myself. He works hard to support his young family, pay for their health care and cares about the quality of life in Valley Falls.”

Dias took the opportunity to criticize Albuquerque on delays in the installation of a new roof at B.F. Norton Elementary School. Albuquerque has touted in his campaign ads that he helped secure town financing for the roof project.

“The roof at B.F. Norton has yet to be repaired even though children are back in school and the other town schools have gotten their work done or at least started,” said Dias.

Albuquerque says the roof work began this week and should be done by early next week. He said the work was to start before the school year, but was at a loss to explain the delay.

“We don’t have control over that. That is strictly the School Department. [The council] appropriates money and the department does what it wants. [Dias] should get his facts straight.”

Dias also charged that Albuquerque received a disability pension from the Central Falls Fire and Rescue despite the fact that one of his hobbies was and is competitive running. “Maybe we should ask Mr. Albuquerque who pays his health-care bills, while the rest of us struggle or go without?” said Dias.

Albuquerque served for 13 years in the Fire Department in the late ’70s and into the ’90s before receiving a disability pension for an on-the-job injury he sustained when he fell down a flight of stairs during a rescue call, he says.

He says that he has been running road races and marathons for over 20 years. “It used to be a hobby. I still run, but not at the same competitiveness as before,” he says. “You want to talk injuries? I have three bad discs in my back and a bad hip.”

Albuquerque said that news of Dias’ withdrawal from the race does not change things for his campaign or for voters. “His name’s still on the ballot. It’s too late to change that,” he said.

He added that Dias’ and Tougas’ criticism of him does not help voters. “All they are doing is taking personal shots,” he said. “They are ignoring the facts and all the issues we are dealing with in town.”

Tougas has said that the delayed response by Albuquerque to some of his family’s concerns is what motivated him to run for office.

“I agree with Albuquerque that the town faces some major issues, and I would assist the mayor and the rest of the council to work on town-wide issues, but the first priority of a councilman should be to his constituents that are in need,” he said. “That’s what local government is all about.”

And in other council primary news, two Democratic candidates for the District 3 seat responded to comments made by their opponent, Democrat Paul Simoes, of 21 Barberry Hill Rd., in an article in yesterday’s Journal regarding the council increasing local government spending.

Incumbent council member Kelley Nickson Morris, of 60 Country Hill Rd., called Simoes’ comments “blatant misrepresentations” and pointed to the council’s record at cutting the town budget and bringing in outside revenue.

“We cut $900,000 from the budget this year and we brought in millions of dollars in revenue from the CVS/Caremark [headquarters at the Highland Corporate Park ] expansion. That deal will bring in $750,000 in tax revenue and additional jobs.”

She also noted that the town received almost $100,000 from the state landfill in revenue sharing profits as a result of efforts to step up recycling in town and that the new Office of Children, Youth and Learning received $55,000 in private grants to offset programming costs.

The other District 3 candidate, James C. Hartke, of 9 Cargill Rd., responded: “Gee, Ms. Nickson Morris, if you saved the residents of Cumberland all this money, why did our taxes still go up?”

pmarcelo@projo.com