What’s on your ballot, what each level costs, and how to vote for exactly what you want
If you have looked at the June 9 ballot and wondered why there are four separate override questions, you are not alone. The ballot can look confusing at first glance. Here is a straightforward explanation of what each question means, what it is projected to cost, and how to vote for the outcome you actually want.
The four override questions are really asking voters to make two separate decisions. Questions 1, 2 and 3 are tiered funding options dealing with town and school budgets. Question 4 is a separate yes-or-no vote about how Marblehead pays for curbside trash and recycling collection. Your vote on the trash question has no effect on Questions 1, 2 and 3, and vice versa.
Why are there three override questions?
Massachusetts law allows communities to present a Proposition 2 1/2 override as a series of funding levels. Marblehead’s Select Board chose this approach to give voters a choice about how much additional funding, if any, they support.
The questions are alternatives, not additions. You are choosing one funding level, not approving several separate overrides.
What does each level fund and what does it cost?
All figures below reflect projected tax impacts on a median Marblehead home valued at $998,600. Each override amount is phased in over three years, not all at once in the first year.
The Select Board, School Committee and Finance Committee have signed a memorandum of understanding committing to seek no further general override until at least fiscal year 2030, regardless of which question passes.
Question 1: $9 million – Partial Restore
This is the minimum tier. According to town projections, it reduces some of the deepest cuts but does not fully restore all services. The library would remain open on a reduced schedule, the School Resource Officer position would be eliminated, and schools would still face a $4 million deficit in FY 2028.
Projected tax increase on a median Marblehead home ($998,600):
Year 1 (FY2027): ~$130 additional per year
Year 2 (FY2028): ~$533 additional per year
Year 3 (FY2029): ~$256 additional per year
Total annual increase once fully phased in: ~$919 per year
These are incremental increases, not cumulative. Each year’s amount is added to the previous year’s increase. By Year 3, the full annual increase is in place and continues going forward.
Question 2: $12 million – Build
This level includes everything in Question 1, plus restores funding for the library, police, fire and Council on Aging. It also includes full-day kindergarten and additional maintenance funding for town buildings and parks.
Projected tax increase on a median Marblehead home ($998,600):
Year 1 (FY2027): ~$280 additional per year
Year 2 (FY2028): ~$676 additional per year
Year 3 (FY2029): ~$274 additional per year
Total annual increase once fully phased in: ~$1,230 per year
These are incremental increases, not cumulative. Each year’s amount is added to the previous year’s
increase. By Year 3, the full annual increase is in place and continues going forward.
Question 3: $15 million – Invest
This level includes everything in Questions 1 and 2, plus additional funding for public safety, economic development, equipment and long-term capital needs across town and school departments.
Town officials say this is the only level that fully addresses the town’s projected structural deficit.
Projected tax increase on a median Marblehead home ($998,600):
Year 1 (FY2027): ~$430 additional per year
Year 2 (FY2028): ~$720 additional per year
Year 3 (FY2029): ~$388 additional per year
Total annual increase once fully phased in: ~$1,538 per year
These are incremental increases, not cumulative. Each year’s amount is added to the previous year’s
increase. By Year 3, the full annual increase is in place and continues going forward.
How does the voting actually work?
This is the key thing to understand.
Questions 1, 2, and 3 are different versions of the same override. Each question
is voted on separately and each needs a simple majority to pass.
If more than one passes, the highest approved funding level becomes the one that takes effect.
In other words, the questions work together to determine the final funding level. They do not automatically add together as separate increases. Voting Yes on additional questions only moves the town to a higher service and funding tier.
How do I vote for what I actually want?
You may vote Yes or No on each question independently, in any combination you choose. Keep in mind that only the highest-funded question that passes will take effect.
If you vote Yes on just one question and it fails, no override passes at all. Voting Yes on more than one question means that if your preferred tier does not pass, a lower tier may still pass in its place.
Here is how to vote for the outcome you want:
If you want the full $15 million funding level: Vote Yes on Questions 1, 2, and 3.
If you want the $12 million level and no more: Vote Yes on Questions 1 and 2. Vote No on Question 3.
If you want only the minimum $9 million level: Vote Yes on Question 1. Vote No on Questions 2 and 3.
If you oppose any override: Vote No on all three questions.
Every Yes and No combination is a valid choice. The ballot is designed to let you vote for exactly the funding level you support, no more and no less.
Question 4: The trash override
Question 4 is separate from the town and school override questions. It is a standalone yes-or-no vote about how Marblehead pays for curbside trash and recycling pickup.
This question is not about whether Marblehead will continue to have trash pickup. The town will still provide curbside collection either way. Town officials have already approved a five-year contract for automated curbside collection using standardized town-issued bins.
Residents currently pay for curbside trash and recycling pickup through their property taxes. Question 4 determines how that system would be funded going forward.
A Yes vote keeps trash collection funded through property taxes as part of the town budget. A No vote maintains the household fee system the Board of Health has already established.
Think of it as similar to a water and sewer bill: a separate annual charge billed directly to households based on the actual cost of the service, rather than folded into property taxes. Some residents prefer this approach because they believe it makes trash costs more transparent and allows households to choose whether to participate in curbside collection.
There is also a financial consideration worth noting. Under Proposition 2 1/2, annual increases to the town’s overall tax levy are capped at 2.5 percent. When trash collection is funded through the tax levy, any cost increases must compete with every other town expense within that cap. A household fee managed by the Board of Health sits outside the tax levy entirely, similar to water and sewer fees. It can be adjusted annually to reflect actual collection costs without affecting the rest of the town budget.
If Question 4 passes:
Curbside trash and recycling would continue to be funded through the tax base. Town officials estimate the cost at roughly $2.3 million annually over the five-year contract period.
If Question 4 fails:
The Board of Health has already established a direct annual household fee of $290.76 per household, billed quarterly. A reduced rate of $145 is available for qualifying low-income households. Residents who choose not to participate in curbside pickup could instead use the Transfer Station or make other private arrangements. Town officials note that long-term trash disposal costs are expected to rise as landfill capacity across Massachusetts continues to shrink.
Help is available for seniors
If you are concerned about the tax impact of the override, Marblehead offers several property tax relief programs for eligible residents. These include:
Clause 17D: For homeowners age 70 or older, or surviving spouses, who have owned and occupied the property for at least five consecutive years.
Clause 41C: For residents age 65 or older who meet income and asset limits and have lived in Massachusetts for at least 10 years.
Clause 41A: A tax deferral program for residents age 65 or older. Taxes are deferred, not forgiven, and become due upon sale of the property.
Veterans exemptions: Available under several clauses depending on disability rating and service record.
Applications are submitted annually to the Marblehead Assessor’s Office and must include supporting documentation. The application deadline is April 1, or within three months of the mailing of the tax bill, whichever is later.
For full details on eligibility, visit marbleheadma.gov. You can also contact the Assessor’s Office directly at (781) 631-0236.
Want more detail on the specific costs?
The Select Board’s full Article 29 Override Presentation, dated May 8, 2026, is available on the town website. Visit marbleheadma.gov, go to the Select Board page, and look for the Override Documents section. It includes a breakdown of projected departmental funding, tax impacts, and service reductions under different scenarios.
When and where do I vote?
Early voting is available at Abbot Hall Tuesday, June 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Wednesday, June 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Thursday, June 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Election Day is Tuesday, June 9. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm.
Precincts 1 and 2: Abbot Hall
Precincts 3, 4, 5, and 6: High School field house, enter via the side door by the grandstand
Not sure of your precinct? Check your voter registration card or visit the Town Clerk’s page at marbleheadma.gov/town-clerk before Election Day.
Marblehead has navigated complicated moments before. This one just requires showing up and checking the right boxes. See you at the polls.
Margaret Bacon is the founder and senior editor of VeryCoolfacts.com, home of a free weekly newsletter, and Safe Harbor Media Group, an educational media platform built around verified, insight-driven storytelling. Her work explores history, science, culture and the enduring patterns of human behavior that shape how we think and act today. She has lived in Marblehead for 40 years.
