Akanksha Goyal - Marblehead Current

10 Mar

OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS: Analysis: Town’s tax burden ranks low among peers

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Editor's note: This is part two in the Marblehead Current's series, "Overriding Considerations," which explores various facets of the "fiscal cliff" on which the town is teetering. To read the previous installment, see: Part 1: Behind Marblehead’s $65 million payroll in 2025 Marblehead is often described as one of the North Shore’s wealthier communities. But a closer look at the town’s finances, demographics and housing data suggests the story behind ongoing debates over a general override may be more complicated than that perception alone. State…

06 Mar

School Committee weighs next steps for FY27 budget amid uncertainty from town

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

The Marblehead School Committee spent much of its Thursday meeting discussing how to move forward with the district’s fiscal year 2027 budget after town officials proposed a scenario Wednesday night that could require the schools to absorb roughly $1.5 million in additional cuts. (Review the town's two budget scenarios at the bottom of this article.) Members said they were reluctant to consider further reductions to the district’s proposed level-funded budget without clearer data from town officials about the financial assumptions driving a request for additional…

25 Feb

State e-bike safety recommendations could bring new rules to Marblehead streets

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Public safety, Top Stories

By Akanksha Goyal A new state report recommending helmet requirements, speed-based classifications, equipment standards and a statewide identification system for e-bikes and similar devices could reshape how micromobility is regulated in Marblehead and across Massachusetts. The recommendations, released by a special state commission tasked with studying. micromobility, aim to address longstanding gaps in state law as e-bikes, electric scooters and other motorized devices have proliferated in recent years. In Marblehead, where residents and officials have raised concerns about high speeds, young riders and powerful electric…

17 Feb

‘OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS’: Behind Marblehead’s $65 million payroll in 2025

Akanksha GoyalMarblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Editor’s note: With town leaders warning of a “fiscal cliff,” an $8.6 million budget deficit and more than 50 municipal layoffs, voters will likely be asked to approve Marblehead’s first general override in a generation. Given that, the Current is launching a series, “Overriding Considerations,” to examine various aspects of the town’s finances. This is part one, on municipal employees’ salaries. Marblehead spent $65.24 million on employee compensation in 2025, according to town payroll records, with schools and public safety accounting for the largest shares of…

16 Feb

New Epstein records show payments, crypto talks with former Marblehead resident

Akanksha GoyalTop Stories

A former Marblehead resident and Bitcoin developer appears more than 700 times in the newest release of records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a review of the materials by the Current. The developer, Jeremy Rubin, lived in Marblehead during his youth and attended Marblehead High School in 2009 before graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2012. He later enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where his communication with Epstein began while he was studying electrical engineering and computer science. Emails…

29 Jan

School leaders outline deeper cuts, including 5 teachers, to level fund budget

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

After multiple rounds of reductions, Marblehead Public Schools officials said they are within $806 of a level-funded fiscal year 2027 budget at the School Committee’s Budget Subcommittee meeting on Jan. 29. The meeting included School Committee members Melissa Clucas and Jenn Schaeffner, Superintendent John Robidoux, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Mike Pfifferling, and Finance Committee liaisons Molly Teets and Pat Franklin. Part of the presentation at Thursday's School Committee Budget Subcommittee meeting outlining deep cuts to next year's budget. Pfifferling walked the subcommittee through a detailed…

17 Dec

Environmental notice bars housing, recreation facilities at 12 Atlantic Ave.

Akanksha GoyalLocal News

Contaminants found in soil at 12 Atlantic Ave. will limit uses for the commercial property. CURRENT PHOTO / LEIGH BLANDER The owner of 12 Atlantic Ave., a small commercial property currently home to btone Fitness and Eat Well Kitchen, has recorded an environmental notice that will limit how the site can be used in the future after contaminants were found in the soil. According to documents filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection, testing identified elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic and lead…

11 Dec

Town’s fiscal concerns grow as long-term budget forecast projects rising deficit

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

Town officials are warning of a deepening fiscal crisis after a new three-year revenue and expense forecast showed a projected $7 million deficit in fiscal year 2027, soaring to $11 million in FY28 and $15 million by FY29 if current trends continue. At the Dec. 10 Select Board meeting, Finance Committee Chair Alec Goolsby, Vice Chair Molly Teets and Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin walked the Board through the updated model, describing it as the second phase of budget season and a continuation of long-term planning…

11 Dec

Health board member urges explicit support for police enforcing underage drinking laws

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Top Stories

At its Dec. 9 meeting, the Board of Health revisited the social hosting controversy that has dominated recent discussions about youth substance use, with member Tom McMahon urging a clear public declaration that police officers have full backing from town leadership when enforcing the laws against parents who allow underage drinking in their homes. McMahon told the board he recently spoke with Select Board Chair Dan Fox, describing the conversation as “very cordial.” While the two disagree on enforcement approaches, McMahon said they share the…

23 Nov

Planning Board pushes 3A plan toward state review, examines ADU bylaw revisions

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories

The Planning Board on Nov. 20 advanced Marblehead's strategy to comply with the state's MBTA Communities Act. The board also began reviewing required changes to the town's accessory dwelling unit bylaw, following guidance from the Attorney General's Office. Planning Board member Marc Liebman said the town is working with counsel to identify parallels with previously approved 3A zoning projects in other communities and ensure Marblehead’s proposal meets state expectations before seeking preliminary approval from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. On Nov 3,…