Marshfield Town Meeting Approves $120.8M Budget, Adds Procurement Officer Position
Town addresses vocational school funding needs while maintaining services in fiscal year 2026 budget
MARSHFIELD - June 2 - Marshfield's Special and Annual Town Meeting approved a $120.8 million budget for fiscal year 2026, including funding for a new procurement officer position and incorporating the $750,273 assessment for South Shore Vocational Technical School.
The budget represents a 4.7% increase over the prior fiscal year, according to Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin, who presented the budget adjustments to town meeting.
"The FY26 budget and article three provides reliable funding for all the functions of government and education," Morin said. "The funding of the South Shore vocational technical school assessments is provided by the reallocation of free cash from seven proposed uses and special town meeting article six."
Morin explained that drivers of the budget increase include a 10% increase in pension assessments, the addition of the procurement officer position, and the cost of financial software. The budget funds an anticipated 2% cost of living adjustment and allows for a 3.4% increase for the school department.
The procurement officer position generated significant discussion, with some residents questioning its necessity. Eric Kelley, Chair of the Select Board, proposed an amendment to remove the position.
"This is the one thing I've been thinking about in regards to the procurement officer and the need for it, especially in light of future budgets that we're going to have to deal with," Kelley said. "I can't see why this can't be part of their [town administrator's] job responsibility."
Morin defended the position, which will have a salary range between $90,000 and $102,000.
"I would say in my opinion, based on having worked in five towns in the last year and over 40 years in this business, that the amount of procurement that goes on in this community warrants this position," Morin said. "It's a complex job."
Morin noted that other communities of similar size have procurement officers, including Braintree, Norwell, and Holbrook. The amendment to remove the position failed, and Town Meeting ultimately approved the personnel bylaw change that added the position.
The school budget also sparked debate, with the Marshfield Public Schools receiving an allocation of $59.6 million. South Shore Regional Vocational Technical School received $750,273, and Norfolk County Agricultural School received $95,488, for a total education budget of $60.5 million.
Steve Lynch from Central Street proposed an amendment to reduce the school budget by $500,000, citing concerns about future costs associated with South Shore Vocational Technical School.
"This is going to start the conversation that we need to have. About $4 million in the next four years we're going to have an increased cost of social tech. And we don't want an override for this," Lynch said. "So the school is going to have to start tightening up their budget."
School Committee Chair Sean Costello defended the school budget, noting that over the last eight years, the average school budget increase has been 2.91%.
"I want to make sure folks know that in all 316, 317 public school districts in Massachusetts, Marshfield is in the bottom 25% in how well we fund our public schools. But we're consistently in the top 35% to 40% in how we perform," Costello said.
The amendment to reduce the school budget failed, and the original allocation was approved.
Town meeting also voted to approve several other significant items:
- A $2.9 million capital outlay budget for various town departments, including the Department of Public Works, Harbormaster, and other areas
- $475,000 to support paid access services for Marshfield Community Media Incorporated
- The addition of a mental health clinician position at the Marshfield Police Department
- $3.8 million in transfers from free cash for various town needs
The mental health clinician position at the police department will be funded through opioid settlement money, according to Police Chief Phillip Tavares.
"The funding, we hope, from the mental health clinician will come from the opioid settlement money," Tavares said.
The budget process this year involved reallocating funds to accommodate the South Shore Vocational Technical School assessment. Morin's adjustments included reducing or eliminating several free cash articles, including removing funding for a vehicle lease program ($250,000), police accreditation ($284,000), and reducing the Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) funding from $200,000 to $50,000.
"Marshfield is still adding to the OPEB Trust, which is a fortunate position to be in where many communities are not," Morin explained. "Auditors and rating agencies are aware of that and they are also aware that most municipalities are planning to fund OPEB … once pension obligations are met."
The town meeting concluded with the approval of all articles presented, setting Marshfield's financial course for the upcoming fiscal year.