Nearly a year after a resident threw a microphone onto the stage during a contentious debate, Town Moderator Jack Attridge is implementing new voting verification procedures for Marblehead’s 376th Town Meeting scheduled for May 5.
The dramatic incident occurred last May when resident Tom Peach, apparently misinterpreting Attridge’s comments during a heated debate over zoning changes, approached the stage with a microphone and voting device. When Attridge resisted Peach’s apparent attempt to take over the meeting, Peach threw both items onto the stage before storming out.
Attridge reflected on the incident during a public primer April 16 at the Judy and Gene Jacobi Community Center, joined by Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer, who praised Attridge’s poise in the face of disorder.
“He talks about last year’s Town Meeting — I thought Jack did an outstanding job of handling an emotional meeting,” Kezer said. “He’s the right guy to be up there patrolling 900 cats in a room.”
“Last year, we crossed the line a little bit between order and disorder,” Attridge said. “That night reminded me how fragile the line can be.”
New rule to verify motions for reconsideration
The reforms Attridge is introducing come as citizen petition sponsor John DiPiano — an outspoken opponent of proposed MBTA zoning changes on last year’s and this year’s warrant — is returning to Town Meeting with a proposal to limit the moderator’s discretion over motions for reconsideration.
The May 2024 disruption came during debate over the MBTA zoning article. The article failed in a 377-410 vote. When resident Angus McQuilken later moved to reconsider the vote — after many opponents had left — audience members shouted “Sham!” as Attridge entertained the motion.
To prevent similar confusion, Attridge is introducing a verification system using electronic voting devices that will allow officials to confirm that those making a motion for reconsideration actually voted with the prevailing side, as required under town bylaws.
“For as long as the vote for reconsideration has been in our bylaws, there’s been blind faith from the moderator as to which way that person voted,” Attridge said. “The electronic voting device will let us check.”
Under the new procedure, anyone making such a motion must surrender their randomly assigned voting device for verification. All other voting remains anonymous.
“If you make a motion for reconsideration, I would ask for your voting device,” Attridge said. “The administrator can look at the number on the back and find out if you voted for the prevailing side.”
The system seeks to close a loophole that has caused confusion at recent meetings. In 2023, a Select Board member had to be reminded of the prevailing-side rule after attempting a motion to reconsider.
Moderator and administrator stress transparency, fiscal clarity
Despite the reforms, Attridge emphasized that Town Meeting should remain a space for open debate.
“Democracy isn’t a little bit messy,” he said. “It’s as good as we’ve got.”
He added that the goal is not to eliminate dissent but to foster respectful and orderly deliberation.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that everybody’s going to agree and that there aren’t going to be outbursts,” Attridge said. “But like I did last year, when the car started coming off the rails, I just stopped and slowed down.”
Attridge declined to remove Peach from the meeting, a decision he still supports.
“Nobody was removed from the room, and we move forward and we finish the business of the town,” he said.
In addition to procedural updates, both Attridge and Kezer used the forum to highlight improvements in financial transparency. Kezer emphasized that the town’s $120 million operation, which includes about 800 employees across the town and schools, demands strong fiscal management and clear communication with residents.
“Every position we’ve created — HR, sustainability — we’ve funded by reducing elsewhere,” Kezer said. “We don’t increase the bottom line. We make hard choices.”
Both officials praised the Finance Committee’s adoption of ClearGov, a digital platform that allows residents to view budget data online or download full financial reports stretching back to 2018.
“We understand our budget the best we have in my lifetime,” Attridge said. “It’s because of collaboration — the Finance Committee, the administration, the departments — all pulling together.”
This year’s Town Meeting will vote on a $119 million budget under Article 22. Articles 1–21 cover routine business, while Articles 23–43 include new proposals such as zoning changes to comply with updated floodplain regulations, allow accessory dwelling units, and establish multi-family overlay districts.
Articles 44–52 comprise citizen petitions, including DiPiano’s proposal on reconsideration rules. While some petitions may be indefinitely postponed, final decisions must be made at the meeting.
“The end of the night might go a little bit quicker than expected,” Attridge said.
Looking ahead to May 5, he struck a hopeful tone.
“Not everybody’s going to agree with everything,” he said, “but at the end of the day, if you show up to Town Meeting with the mindset of the collective good, we all do better.”
He acknowledged that majority decisions can be hard, but stressed their legitimacy.
“That’s what we need to live with as a town,” he said.
Town Meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday, May 5, at the Veterans Middle School Auditorium, One Duncan Sleigh Square.
