Securing Our Financial Future

This upcoming year is absolutely critical. Marblehead has had a long-standing structural deficit and its reliance on "free cash" has run out. In recent years, we have been using around $8-$10M in free cash annually to balance the town's $102M budget. This year, we have a $2.5M shortfall to level-service the Town and a Prop 2 1/2 override on the ballot to stabilize revenues while the town government prepares a longer-term solution. Finance Committee Report 2023

The Select Board needs to present a real multi-year strategic solution to the voters of this town next year. Securing the long-term financial health of Marblehead is going to take proactive leadership. It will require us to find the perfect balance between leveraging strategic new growth while keeping the character of our town and the level of services residents deserve. It will mean healthy oversight and routine reviews to ensure maximum operational efficiency across our departments. We need to evaluate if there are areas to outsource or cost-share with neighboring towns. We need to make smart investments that create great returns, like the Sustainability Coordinator position we are funding for next year.

Marblehead needs to capitalize on all available revenue streams to reduce the resident tax burden. We have a rapidly aging population that is relying on fixed incomes. Although there are many affluent households, nearly 30% of households are low-income. We need to foster new growth and responsible development to increase the overall tax base while easing the impact on existing residents. Smart growth also diversifies housing options for seniors to downsize and attract new or returning residents to town. Marblehead needs to embrace available local option revenues and the promotion of economic development within the town. For instance, the majority of the Select Board recently sided against providing a license to what would have been a new craft brewery and restaurant on Atlantic Avenue. That establishment would have attracted visitors, hired local residents, and provided an economic boost to our downtown area. Also, strategic capital and infrastructure planning is essential in order to capitalize on federal and state grant funds for “shovel-ready” projects. We also need to look at peer communities to evaluate whether our user and permitting fees are optimally in line. We cannot afford to continue to miss out on the Community Preservation Act funds, which pay for countless recreational/open space, affordable housing, historic preservation, and other projects. More than half of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns avail themselves of this. Finally, we must build and maintain reserves in our stabilization fund and free cash carry balance. I believe Marblehead should adopt a policy that aims to slowly build and then maintain stabilization reserves of 5-10% of annual operating expenditures.

Climate Change and Sustainability

We need to implement the Priority Strategies set forth in the Marblehead Net Zero Roadmap that was presented this Spring 2023. The first step the Select Board has taken in funding a Sustainability Coordinator for FY’24. This position will be a revenue-driver for the town and allow Marblehead to take advantage of technical grants to secure our coastal resiliency and carbon-free energy goals.

Our town should identify vulnerable areas in addition to those laid out in the Coastal Resiliency study. We need to engage the community around this conversation and analyze the costs and benefits of proactive measures we can take to reduce coastal flood risk and adapt to changing conditions from more frequent significant storms. As a member of the Board, I would collaborate with our Town Planner and all other elected town boards, commissions, and committees to achieve this goal.

• We need to seek every outside opportunity through federal and state grants to undertake sustainability efforts for the future generations of Marbleheaders.

• In coordination with town departments, government offices, our school buildings and facilities could participate in energy-efficiency audits to identify upgrades and renovations that would be both sustainable and provide future cost-savings.

• Town leadership should encourage the adoption of the core strategies set out in the Marblehead Climate Vision, which was created by the Green Marblehead Committee. It is important that the Board continue to partner with the MMLD and other departments to ensure that Marblehead meets its target of carbon neutrality by 2040.

• We should aggressively pursue state funding through the Complete Streets Program to enhance pedestrian and bicycling enhancements throughout town, including sidewalk repairs needed due to tree roots and bike lanes on West Shore Drive, Atlantic, Lafayette and other possible streets identified in the Complete Streets Prioritization Plan.

• In order to achieve net carbon neutrality, the Board of Selectmen should serve a leadership role in cultivating a collective effort among town departments and boards to:

  • Significantly increase the energy efficiency of buildings

  • Electrify heating, transportation, and other end uses

  • Transition to 100% carbon-free electricity in the MMLD portfolio

  • Adopt other strategies, including encouraging walking and biking as alternatives to car travel, carbon sequestration from planting more trees, and waste reduction

Downtown Business District Vitality

The long history of our town’s small retail business vibrancy was at risk pre-Covid with consumers moving to the convenience of the convenient online market. Post-pandemic, many of these businesses and restaurants are still struggling. I want to work with the business community to implement recovery strategy ideas from the Local Rapid Recovery Plan developed through our participation in the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative.

Unmet Housing Needs

We need to bring all stakeholders to the table to expand and diversify our housing inventory, per the findings of the Housing Production Plan. We need to address the changing demographics of our town and create more range in housing options to meet the needs of residents in different life stages and income levels.

• Our town has seen a significant increase in aging households and decrease in younger households. The recent housing study found that “the number of households led by someone 55 or older increased by 21% in seven years” while “the number of residents between the ages of 25 to 44 shrunk by 63% in the same time period.” We need to consider options to diversify housing options, while maintaining the charming character of Marblehead that attracts young professionals and their families who will support Marblehead’s future.

• Although we have many affluent households, almost 30% of households in town are low-income, which includes half of single-person senior households and half of renter-occupied households. Two-thirds of low-income households in Marblehead spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

As the Chair of the affordable housing task force, known as the Housing Production Plan Implementation and Member of the Fair Housing Committee, I wish to continue to work on this issue by leveraging existing unused properties and collaborating with Marblehead Housing Authority to explore redevelopment options. We are also planning to expand and create new 40R Smart Growth Overlay Districts to promote multi-use redevelopment of commercial areas. This will create more affordable housing options and also bring in state funds and additional tax revenue.

Capital Infrastructure Needs

We have no capital fund to budget for capital projects, yet we have a growing list of capital infrastructure and facilities maintenance needs which need to be outlined and available to the public for review.

• We need to ensure that we are maintaining our buildings, roads, facilities, parks, and other capital assets. While we have completed or are near completion on capital projects at Abbot Hall and Fort Sewall, our needs are extensive.

• Pressing capital needs: our streets and sidewalks, police station renovations, administrative offices at Mary Alley/Widger Road, town streets and sidewalks, rail trail (recs from the rail trail plan -improved surface, lighting, crossings, benches, trash receptacles), Chandler Hovey canopies over benches, tennis courts at Seaside, seawall at Parker’s boat yard and landing, our town archive facility, athletic fields, Devereaux beach etc.

• In 2018, the Marblehead Board of Selectmen adopted a Complete Street Policy, committing the Town to create a transportation network that accommodates all users regardless of their ability, age, or chosen mode of travel. Through the policy, the Board affirmed the Town’s commitment to apply Complete Streets principles to Marblehead’s streets to advance the safety, health, economic viability, and quality of life of the Marblehead Community.

• The Town’s Complete Streets Policy was approved by the MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program, and Marblehead created and submitted a project prioritization plan in 2019, making the Town eligible to apply for and receive grants to support the construction of Complete Streets projects. The Marblehead Rail Trail improvement project is ranked as the Town’s highest-priority Complete Streets project. Marblehead will apply for a grant from the Complete Streets Funding Program as part of the first funding round of the 2021 fiscal year to support the implementation of the plan.

Public Participation in the Process

We have infinite resources in terms of subject-matter expertise and advice right within our own community and we could do better to access and bring the public into the decision-making process.

• Actively seek opinions from residents prior to big-picture decision-making or plans to ensure balancing of different stakeholder interests.

• Maintain an effective strategy from the pandemic: ensure future public meetings continue to provide Zoom access for members of the public to observe and engage.