Leading up to its May 3, 2025, town election, Marshfield experienced significant leadership changes and continued to grapple with major financial challenges. The election saw challenger Trish Simpson defeat incumbent Select Board Chair Lynne Fidler, with key campaign themes including fiscal concerns, transparency, and resident engagement. Shortly after, the Select Board reorganized on May 5, 2025, electing Eric Kelley as Chair, Steve Darcy as Vice Chair, and Trish Simpson as Clerk. A primary financial issue confronting the town was an unexpected $750,000 budget gap for South Shore Vocational Technical High School funding.... This led to the postponement of financial articles at the April 28, 2025, town meeting until June 2, 2025, when Marshfield residents approved a $120.8 million FY26 budget that incorporated this vocational school assessment through various fund reallocations and budget adjustments proposed by Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin.... The town had appointed Peter Morin as Interim Town Administrator on April 14, 2025, following the mutual resolution of Michael Maresco's employment status.... Further compounding the vocational school funding issue, voters narrowly rejected a debt exclusion override question for a new school building in the May 3 election, meaning Marshfield will need to absorb an estimated $1.8 million annually into its operating budget starting in FY29 for its share of the project, which could grow to between $2.5 million and $3 million per year by 2029....
In addition to budget matters, the Select Board addressed other significant town concerns. Marshfield continues to challenge the MBTA Communities Act, arguing it is an "unfunded mandate" and pursuing legal action against the state.... Despite some calls for an RFP process, Town Counsel Robert Galvin was reappointed for another year on June 16, 2025, due to strong public and departmental support for his expertise and integrity.... The board also worked to enhance communication and transparency..., supported economic development, and approved various Community Preservation Committee projects. A point of contention arose over a Pride Month proclamation, which was initially removed from the agenda, but a motion later passed on June 16, 2025, to include it on the June 30 agenda.... On June 30, 2025, the board voted to proclaim both June and July 2025 as Pride Month. The board also approved a mental health clinician position for the Police Department, funded by opioid settlement money, and disbursed opioid fund grants to local organizations. Efforts are ongoing to find a permanent Town Administrator, with a search committee process underway and firms like the Collins Center being considered.
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