Marshfield faces dual budget pressures after debt override failure

Marshfield is facing two major financial challenges: a failed debt exclusion override for school construction and a $710,000 tuition bill that was not included in the town's budget plan.

The issues were central to Monday night's Select Board meeting, as officials outlined short-term measures to manage spending and began preparing for a more difficult budget process ahead.

Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin said the failed override — which would have funded Marshfield's share of a new South Shore Vocational Technical School building outside of the town budget — will require the town to find room in its operating budget instead.

"The repercussions of that failure of vote on the FY27 budget are going to be significant," Morin said. "You'd have to absorb a significant amount of money. I think it would be at least $750,000, if not more."

At the same time, the town must also resolve a $710,000 tuition expense for South Shore Vocational Technical School that was not accounted for in the town's plan for next year's budget. The oversight had been previously discussed at a joint meeting with the Advisory Board and reported by the South Shore Times, but remains unresolved.

"It's a tightrope situation where you've got to, through the end of the fiscal year, make purchases where it makes sense... but on the other hand, if spending doesn't make sense, turn the surplus in so that we preserve as much free cash going forward as we can," Morin said.

Board Chair Eric Kelley emphasized that the town faces difficult decisions ahead.

"We have enough on our plate that we have to address in this town, especially in the next coming year," Kelley said.

Kelley also raised concerns that Marshfield may be paying "twice" for students who attend vocational school, as the district still faces fixed costs for maintaining facilities and staff even when enrollment declines.

"Just because we're having X amount of students go to South Shore Vo-Tech doesn't mean that we have the money to follow them because that will blow their budget apart," he said.

Morin reported that he is working closely with the finance team to monitor spending and review all department requests. He noted that he already identified a $5,000 request that is no longer necessary.

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