To the editor:
With 2026 fast approaching, I expect that Marbleheaders will soon begin to have a more rigorous and honest conversation about how we fund our town and the services we rely on.
It is encouraging to hear town leaders, led by Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin, publicly acknowledge the need for a general override in 2026. For years, Marblehead’s operating costs have grown faster than revenues due to the constraints of Proposition 2 1⁄2, which caps annual property-tax increases. Over time, that structural imbalance has taken its toll.
Despite careful management and good intentions, the result has been a gradual erosion of services.
The teachers strike laid bare the challenges facing our schools, and the condition of our roads is a daily reminder that we are underinvesting in basic infrastructure.
With an override on the horizon, Marblehead now faces a clear choice. We can pursue the minimum increase necessary to maintain “level services,” or we can make a deliberate investment in our town — one that delivers the quality of schools, infrastructure and municipal services that residents expect and deserve.
I urge our town leaders to put forward a clear vision, backed by a realistic budget. What would it take to make Marblehead High School a top-25 public high school in Massachusetts? What level of investment is required to properly maintain our roads? How do we ensure seniors and veterans receive the services they need?
Marbleheaders are rightly proud of our town. But pride alone does not fund schools or pave roads. If we want Marblehead’s reality to match its reputation, we must be willing to invest accordingly.
Finally, I encourage the Select Board to reconsider the use of a Residential Exemption as part of any override proposal. While often associated with communities that have many non-resident homeowners, a Residential Exemption can also promote fairness in towns with high owner-occupancy like Marblehead. Properly structured, it would shift a portion of the tax burden toward higher-value properties while reducing the impact on homeowners with below-average home values — many of whom are more sensitive to tax increases. In the context of a general override, a Residential Exemption could help ensure that necessary investments are shared more fairly.
The question before us is not whether an override is needed, but what kind of community we want Marblehead to be — and whether we are willing to pay for it.
Matthew Hooks
Nanepashemet Street
