Municipal Matters - Marblehead Current

Marblehead Select Board to include schools in override proposal

18Mar

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Uncategorized

Marblehead Select Board to include schools in override proposal

For the first time in a public meeting, the Marblehead Select Board acknowledged the Marblehead Public Schools would be included in the Proposition 2 1/2 override proposed under Article 31 of the 2023 town warrant. "We have been working hard to develop a more collaborative relationship with the town," Superintendent John Buckey told the Marblehead Current, calling the Select Board's direction "a very encouraging sign." Buckey added, "The Select Board's inclusion of the schools in its override request affirms that they recognize the school district's financial constraints and will join us in asking voters to invest appropriately in public education here in Marblehead.” Marblehead Finance Director Aleesha Nunley-Benjamin addresses the Select Board during a budget discussion on Fr...

18Mar

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories, Uncategorized

More than two dozen seats open in 2023 municipal election

Marblehead’s 2023 municipal election season is underway. As of Monday, March 20, nomination papers were available for voters interested in running for local office in the Tuesday, June 20 municipal election. Between expiring and unexpired terms, there are 25 elected positions up for grabs across various boards, committees and commissions in Marblehead's decentralized municipal government, even as much decision-making authority over town affairs lies with Town Meeting and the Select Board. Open Town Meeting is essentially the town’s legislative branch, where voters authorize expenditures and budgets, sign off on home rule petitions and enact bylaws. The Old Town House, 1 Market Square, was built in 1727. It is often referred to as 'Marblehead’s Cradle of Liberty' and is one o...

15Mar

By Justin SilvermanNo Comments

Municipal Matters, Opinion, Viewpoints

TRANSPARENCY: Honor Sunshine Week by requiring hybrid meeting access

During the early months of COVID-19, governors in New England states issued executive orders allowing municipalities to meet online so long as the public could attend remotely. The democratic benefits of this arrangement quickly became evident. According to a public official quoted in a 2020 study, the changes “made it a lot easier for residents who have other things to do, to be heard. People with family obligations, elder care, or child-care issues.” The executive orders that prompted these changes, however, have long since expired. New England states have resorted to a patchwork of live streams, short-term remote meeting requirements and, in some cases, reverted back to pre-COVID policies and in-person meetings only. There’s a better way forward. Permanent changes need to be m...

13Mar

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories, Uncategorized

Vulgar, antisemitic graffiti discovered at Marblehead Village School

Police are investigating graffiti that includes vulgar and homophobic language and antisemitic symbols found at Marblehead Village School, Principal Mandy Murphy reported in an email to the public on Monday. “It is with great disappointment and frustration that I write to you concerning recent graffiti found on the roof and bricks of Village School,” said Mandy. “We immediately reported this to the police department and the superintendent.” She added, “While the area the graffiti was drawn on may not be seen by many students, it makes us sad to see the graffiti of such hate on our building.” Murphy said they are making security footage available to police. “We hope this was not one of our students and has become a police investigation,” Murphy wrote. “We...

13Mar

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Community resources, Local News, Municipal Matters, Nonprofit corner, Top Stories

Library transformation gets underway

A bundled-up crowd gathered in the Abbot Public Library courtyard the morning of March 8 to celebrate the start of a $10 million renovation to the library's Pleasant Street building.The event brought together elected officials, contractors, employees and residents weeks after the project kicked off in late January."Our motto throughout this campaign has been 'Our 17th-century town deserves a 21st-century library,' and we are truly thankful for everyone who has supported us in that vision," Gary Amberik, chairman of the Abbot Public Library Board of Trustees told the small crowd fanned out before him. "Today, we celebrate the start of the transformation of the Abbot Public Library."More than 30 years have passed since the library's building underwent significant upgrades. Once the renovati...

9Mar

By William J. DowdNo Comments

Culture, Local History, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Glover’s Regiment gifts town with relief carving from salvaged Fort Sewall wood

On Wednesday night at Abbot Hall, the Marblehead Glover's Regiment presented the town with a relief carving of an American Revolutionary War patriot. The artwork was carved from wood salvaged from the sycamore maple tree that stood on Fort Sewall for 147 years. A microburst severely damaged the 50-foot, 12-foot circumference tree in 2019 and it was later removed. The carving was created by the regimental surgeon, Dr. Ray Sullivan of Middlebury, Connecticut. Sullivan's daughter, Katie, presented the relief carving alongside Capt. Seamus Daly and Larry Sands. Both members showed up in 18th century military uniforms. The gift was given as a token of appreciation for the support and assistance of Marblehead leaders, residents and businesses in helping fulfill the regiment's...

27Feb

By Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Public safety, Top Stories

Breaking news: Snow emergency declared

The town has declared a snow emergency due to stormy weather headed this way. The snow emergency runs Tuesday from 12:01 a.m to 7 a.m. "This will allow for the streets to be cleared of any snow and the cleanup of existing snow and ice," according to an email from the town. "It will be illegal to park any vehicle including boats and trailers on any public way during the snow emergency. Any vehicle, boat or trailer that is not off the public way between midnight tonight and 7 a.m. will be subject to being ticketed and towed." The email goes on to read: "If your vehicle is towed during a snow emergency, you should call the Marblehead Police Department at 781-631-1212 to confirm the location of your vehicle. All vehicles are towed to the designated town tow lot at the Transfer S...

24Feb

By William J. Dowd and Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local News, Municipal Matters, Politics, Top Stories

Breaking news: Town Meeting warrant features 3 override requests

Marblehead officials will present Town Meeting this May with three requests to override Proposition 2 ½ and raise taxes, according to the 2023 Town Warrant that Abbot Hall released Friday afternoon. 2023-Annual-Town-Meeting-Warrant-FINALDownload While no dollar amounts have been attached yet, the warrant’s publication officially confirms that there will be not one but two general override requests, in addition to a debt-exclusion override. Towns pass general overrides to permanently increase the tax base to cover deficits, while debt-exclusion overrides are one-off expenditure requests to fund specific capital improvement projects. The overrides must pass by a two-thirds vote at Town Meeting on May 1 and then a majority vote in a town election in June. “Once approved...

21Feb

By Chris StevensNo Comments

Environment, Local News, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

In Marblehead, roadmap paves the way for net zero emissions

Is it ironic that it was 50 degrees on Feb. 15, the day Marblehead's Net Zero Roadmap, a plan to combat climate change locally, was presented to the community? In 2019 the Marblehead Green Energy Committee partnered with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and developed a Climate Vision Plan. Brooks Winner, a senior clean energy specialist with MAPC, called the plan a framework or a foundation for some of what is now in the Net Zero Roadmap. A timeline of Marblehead’s net zero progress to date. COURTESY PHOTO Winner, who presented the roadmap during a public meeting on that warm Wednesday evening, said some of the strategies would be implemented by Marblehead Municipal Light Department, and the town would lead some. Some are changes that residents and business owners wil...

21Feb

By William J. Dowd and Leigh BlanderNo Comments

Local News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

In absence of override, staffing cuts predicted in Marblehead schools

Superintendent of Schools John Buckey cautioned that if the town holds the district to a 1.8% budget increase for FY 2024, 33 staff positions will need to be cut. The current school budget is nearly $44 million. “It’s devastating to morale,” Buckey said. “People are already asking building principals and directors if they’re going to be out of a job. People will begin looking. I can see people hedging their bets saying, ‘I don’t know if I’ll have a Marblehead job next year so I’ll look elsewhere.’” Buckey and the School Committee are discussing two budget proposals: one with the 1.8% increase and one that includes requests from principals and directors, which initially totaled a 10% increase. The latter budget would require an override. “We need to put forth the needs o...