Town Election Guide - Marblehead Current

21 Apr

Slate set for Marblehead town election as filing deadline passes

Leigh BlanderMunicipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

With today’s 5 p.m. deadline to submit nomination papers and signatures now past, Marblehead has a clear picture of who will appear on the June 9 election ballot. Here’s a rundown: Select Board (two seats): Incumbent Erin Noonan is seeking reelection. Rossana Ferrante, who currently chairs the Recreation and Parks Commission, is also running. Jennifer Schaeffner, who currently sits on the School Committee and Marblehead Housing Authority, is running. Incumbent Alexa Singer is not running for reelection. School Committee (two seats): Incumbent Melissa Clucas is…

15 Apr

Locals film video urging support for tax override

Leigh BlanderLocal News, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Town Election Guide, Town Meeting

On a recent blustery Saturday morning, cameras rolled as residents gathered around town to film a short video encouraging voters to support a Proposition 2 1⁄2 override and preserve town services. The effort is organized by the citizen group For Marblehead, which is producing a 60-second video highlighting what supporters describe as the community’s shared commitment to its schools, infrastructure and civic institutions. Among those volunteering their time behind the camera are TV commercial director Tom Foley and his sons, Wyatt and Beckett. “A bunch…

14 Apr

OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS: Costs are outpacing the cap: Marblehead’s challenge under Prop 2½

Akanksha GoyalMunicipal Matters, Top Stories, Town Election Guide, Town Meeting

In 1980, a tax revolt that reshaped how every city and town in Massachusetts raises revenue was driven in part by Barbara Anderson, a Marblehead resident and one of the leading figures behind the campaign. More than four decades later, in the town closely associated with Proposition 2 1/2, local officials say the law is increasingly at odds with the financial reality facing the town today. The law limits how much a community can raise in property taxes each year, generally capping annual increases at…

13 Apr

Marblehead election updates: Sarah Fox pulls papers for another School Committee run; sitting Select Board member will not run for re-election

Leigh BlanderPolitics, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

***NEW Tuesday: Sarah Fox has pulled papers to run again for School Committee. Fox served three terms on the committee, before losing last June. Incumbent Melissa Clucas and Ann Marie Jordan have also pulled papers for the two available seats. Sarah Fox has pulled papers for another School Committee run. COURTESY PHOTO Also: Select Board member Alexa Singer, whose term expires in June, announced that she will not seek re-election. "It is time for me to dedicate the coming years to my family and step…

06 Apr

Who’s running, who’s not in June town election

Leigh BlanderLocal News, Town Election Guide

With the deadline two weeks away, more residents have taken out nomination papers for Marblehead’s June 9 town elections. More than 20 seats are up for grabs across town boards and commissions, including the Select Board, School Committee, Board of Health and Municipal Light Commission. According to the Town Clerk’s Office, candidates must collect at least 50 signatures and return nomination papers by 5 p.m. April 21. Papers are available at the Town Clerk’s Office in Abbot Hall. Here’s how races are shaping up as…

11 Jun

School Committee hears results of latest youth risk behavior survey

Leigh BlanderMarblehead Public Schools, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

The number of Marblehead High School students suffering from depression and anxiety dipped slightly from 2023 to 2024, according to results of a youth risk behavior study at MHS. However, the study also revealed that 6% of MHS students report using alcohol regularly, compared to 1.5% of high school students statewide. Forty-two percent of MHS students reported ever using alcohol, up from 40%. Superintendent John Robidoux, left, and the School Committee listened to the results of the high school's latest youth risk behavior survey. “It’s…

11 Jun

Local teen saves elderly woman from apparent Bitcoin scam

Leigh BlanderPublic safety, Top Stories, Town Election Guide

Eighteen-year-old Addy Mooney of Marblehead knew something wasn’t right with the older woman at Richdale on Smith Street. She was asking the cashier for help with the Bitcoin machine. Addy Mooney shows off her junior officer badge sticker. COURTESY PHOTO “She was in her 70s or 80s, and she was holding her phone like she was talking to someone while this interaction was happening,” Mooney said. “It seemed kind of scammy.” Mooney walked home, but, she said, “I felt deep down there was something up.…

11 Jun

Voters head to polls this election day

Leigh Blander0 CommentsTop Stories, Town Election Guide

On Tuesday, June 11, voters are going to the polls to decide who will help lead the town in the next year and beyond. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at three locations: — Precinct 1: Old Town House, One Market Square — Precincts 2 & 3: Abbot Hall Auditorium, 188 Washington St. — Precincts 4, 5 & 6: Judy & Gene Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. Voters can find their designated precinct at sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA. The election features contested races…

30 May

CURRENT’S 2024 CANDIDATES’ GUIDE

Will Dowd0 CommentsTop Stories, Town Election Guide

On Tuesday, June 11, voters go to the polls to decide who will help lead the town in the next year and beyond. This year, there are only two contested races: for Select Board and Recreation and Parks Commission. While there are two names on the ballot for the Housing Authority, one candidate, Laura Gallant, has since dropped out. The Current has put together its second annual Candidates’ Guide, with brief bios and Q&As with candidates in the two contested races (One candidate, incumbent Rec…

22 May

Candidates make their cases at League forum before June 11 town election

Will Dowd0 CommentsTop Stories, Town Election Guide

Dan Albert, the town's MBTA advisor and Select Board candidate, set himself apart from his opponents during the candidates' forum hosted by the Marblehead League of Women Voters on May 21. Albert stood alone in his opposition to the MBTA zoning law, which failed to pass at the recent Town Meeting, arguing that it would do little to address the housing crisis and could lead to environmental damage. Select Board candidates Erin Noonan, Bret Murray, Dan Fox, Moses Grader and Dan Albert present their platforms…