This article is part of a series looking at key warrant articles leading up to the Town Meeting in May.
A series of articles in the 2024 Marblehead warrant is aimed at bolstering the town’s economic future and quality of life, proponents say.
Articles 34-35 and 37-39 propose governance reforms covering community development, financial oversight and public health.
The biggest change proposed would establish a new community development and planning department and hire a director to oversee it. The impetus behind the request: longtime town planner Becky Cutting’s retirement in February.
“Becky was a department of one, and she wore multiple hats,” Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer told the Current. “Her retirement presents an opportunity to restructure.”
Kezer called Article 34 “the Becky replacement plan.” The newly created Community Development and Planning Department would focus on a wide range of issues, including economic development, housing policy, transportation, historic preservation, sustainability efforts, open space conservation and neighborhood improvement. The department would also aim to support Marblehead’s business community and increase tourism.
Funding for the new positions would come from the regular municipal budget and salaries of positions that will be vacated by retirements. Kezer said the reorganization can be achieved without increasing expenses.
“The town engineer is expected to retire this year. That salary is going to pay for the director of community development and planning,” Kezer explained. “DPW is picking up the engineering responsibilities because they already have an engineer.”
Kezer said he also plans to hire a grant writer, a newly established position that aims to enhance the town’s ability to secure federal, state and other funding.
“There are plenty of grants out there,” Kezer said. “Federal grants, state grants and others for municipalities. We just don’t have any one person focused on it; everybody’s kind of doing a little piece.”
The director of community development and planning would also have the authority to appoint additional employees as needed, subject to the approval of the Select Board.
While the funding source for these additional positions is not explicitly stated, Kezer implied that they would be created using savings from other personnel changes and retirements.
“This department, the way I describe it, is focused on quality-of-life issues for Marblehead, a significant part of which is the business community,” Kezer said. “Marblehead has a very small share of commercial and industrial property relative to residential.”
During a meeting with Marblehead’s business community, he stated, “This is an investment that Marblehead has to make now to be in a position to sort of control its own destiny. Because right now, we’re on a path that’s not looking good.”
Select Board member Bret Murray is throwing his support behind Article 34.
“This is going to be new for Marblehead, but it’s not new for a lot of other communities,” he noted. “We’ve got to leverage what’s worked well for them.”
At the same time, Murray emphasized the importance of preserving Marblehead’s character.
“It’s that balance — how can we keep our same charm while modernizing how we do business?” he said. “Marblehead’s got to keep its core, but we’ve also got to get current and follow best practices.”
Articles 35 and 38
Kezer wants to move the assessor’s office under the purview of the chief financial officer (Article 35) and make the board of assessors an appointed rather than elected body (Article 38).
“Our current system of having an independently elected board of assessors is not in line with best practices,” Kezer told the Select Board. “Most other municipalities have their assessors report to the chief financial officer and have an appointed assessment board.”
Kezer said bringing the assessor’s office into the finance department would allow for better coordination and data sharing among departments. Currently, the assessors operate separately from other town finance functions.
“The assessors are responsible for over $80 million in property values, yet they work independently from us. That means separate systems and processes,” Kezer said. “We need a more cohesive financial team approach.”
If approved at Town Meeting, the proposal to change the Board of Assessors from elected to appointed would go to the ballot box and, if approved, take effect for fiscal year 2025.
The proposal comes amid ongoing concerns from residents about perceived inconsistencies in property assessments. Appointing a board of assessors, which the Massachusetts Division of Local Services considers a best practice, is a practice in a third of the state’s 351 municipalities, according to Massachusetts Association of Assessing Officers.
Article 39
The Select Board has proposed amending the Capital Planning Committee membership from five residents with restrictions to a hybrid model with three resident appointees alongside professional staff. This balance of external input and staff perspectives could “energize” capital planning, according to Kezer.
Current bylaws restrict resident members from serving on other town boards, committees or holding municipal positions to ensure independence. That would not change.
The change is designed to:
— Align capital project priorities with long-term financial goals.
— Integrate resident voices with operational realities.
— Reduce spikes in property tax bills through strategic planning.
— Maintain town buildings proactively to avoid service disruptions.
— Increase transparency in the capital planning process.
Article 37
Marblehead voters will also be asked whether to expand the Board of Health from three to five members. The initiative, sponsored by the Board of Health itself, seeks to cultivate a more diverse and robust governing body capable of addressing health challenges more effectively.
The first election under the new system would see three members elected, with the candidate receiving the highest number of votes serving a three-year term, the second-highest vote-getter serving a two-year term, and the third-highest serving a one-year term.
In subsequent elections, members would be elected to three-year terms, with one or two positions up for each year, depending on the cycle. This staggered approach ensures that the board maintains a blend of experienced and new perspectives, proponents argue.
If approved at Town Meeting, the proposal would go through the home-rule petition process, requiring approval from the state legislature and the governor before taking effect.
