Marshfield interim administrator Charlie Sumner resigns

Marshfield’s already turbulent budget process took another turn Friday when interim co-town administrator Charlie Sumner submitted his resignation, effective Monday.

Sumner confirmed his decision in an interview late Friday afternoon with South Shore Times, saying the increasingly complex situation in town government had reached a point where he no longer believed he could be effective.

"Marshfield has a lot going on, and it’s a very complicated situation,” Sumner said. “I did my best to do what I could do to help when I was there, but it just is at the point now where I just don’t think I could be effective going forward.”

He said he did not want to further inflame an already tense situation inside town government. “Beyond saying that, I don’t need to make it any more complicated for the community,” he added.

Officials with knowledge of the resignation said that it came after a tense Friday morning phone call with Select Board Chair Eric Kelley.

When reach by phone, Kelley said that he had no comment.

Sumner, who served for nearly three decades as the town administrator in Brewster before retiring in 2015, was hired by Marshfield in October 2025 to serve as co-town administrator alongside Peter Morin. The arrangement was intended to be temporary, with Sumner's original end date set for the end of January.

The Select Board had hoped to appoint a permanent administrator by late 2025 but ultimately declined to move forward with two finalists in December, leaving the interim leadership structure in place longer than expected. It has been nearly a year since the role was vacated.

Budget tensions intensify

Sumner had been working with town officials to assemble a proposed fiscal year budget ahead of Marshfield’s April 27 town meeting. On Wednesday, March 25, he presented a draft budget to members of the Select Board and Advisory Board.

That presentation came as the town struggled to catch up on a budget process that had fallen significantly behind schedule.

“The budget is late,” Sumner acknowledged when asked about criticism of the timeline.

According to Sumner, the delay was compounded by staffing disruptions and structural budget pressures.

“Many communities in Massachusetts are facing incredibly difficult fiscal pressures,” he said. “It’s been elevated [in Marshfield] because over the last couple of years some of their practices to balance the budget resulted in them using a lot of one-time revenues for annual operating costs.”

He said the delay created a difficult situation for the Advisory Board, which is responsible for reviewing the town’s spending plan. “It put a lot of unfair pressure on the advisory board who’s been waiting patiently for something to look at.”

Several current and former town employees who spoke with the South Shore Times, stated that the budget process has been tense and chaotic. A number noted that progress has been delayed by they see as micromanagement by select board members, specifically Kelley.

Town officials recently decided to open town meeting on April 27, as required by the charter, but postpone final action on financial articles until mid-June to give the Advisory Board more time to review the budget.

Leadership turmoil continues

Sumner’s resignation comes amid continued instability at Town Hall.

Earlier this week, Select Board member Trish Simpson resigned, leaving the three-member board temporarily reduced to two members. Sumner said that situation added to the complexity of navigating the town’s fiscal challenges.

“When you have a three-member board, it makes it even more complicated,” he said.

Sources familiar with the situation told the South Shore Times that Sumner’s resignation followed a tense phone conversation Friday morning with Select Board Chair Eric Kelley. Kelley declined to comment when reached Friday.

Despite the circumstances surrounding his departure, Sumner said he remains concerned about the town’s finances and the municipal employees affected by the ongoing uncertainty.

“A lot of them are just hardworking, dedicated people that are being impacted by all of these matters,” he said. "Marshfield finds itself in a very complicated situation."

His resignation leaves Marshfield entering the final weeks before town meeting without one of the administrators who had been guiding the budget process.

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