Marshfield Select Board Votes to Delay Budget Decisions

The Marshfield Select Board voted last Thursday to delay key budget decisions for next year’s town budget from the April 28 Special and Annual Town Meeting until June 2, 2025. The move follows the departure of the town’s long-time administrator and questions over stated plans to pay regional school assessments without Town Meeting approval. 

Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin stated that the town requires additional time to develop amendments to the budget, particularly to properly fund the assessments for the South Shore Regional Vocational Technical School.

“I want to get the discussion started on what I'm recommending by the next select board meeting," Morin said. "I'll come up with a series of options available, make my recommendations to you and to the advisory board. It can be fully vetted in public.”

The board unanimously backed the delays.

“Instead of adjourning the town meeting, we'll recess the town meeting, and there's a difference," Robert Galvin, the town’s Counsel said. "Adjourning [means] it's over. Recess means that it's not over. It's just being deferred to another date.”

Board members agreed that additional time was necessary to allow residents and department heads full opportunity to review proposed amendments. Morin also noted that continuing into June would avoid rushed floor amendments and allow for a transparent, deliberate discussion.

“It gives an opportunity for everyone to be heard and participate. It's transparent and it gets everything done before the end of the fiscal year,” he said.

Concerns Over School Budget Transparency and Vocational Funding

Alongside the decision to delay the financial articles, the Select Board raised pointed concerns about the lack of detailed information regarding the Marshfield Public Schools budget — particularly whether existing appropriations already accounted for vocational education costs. Board member Eric Kelly questioned how the $710,000 assessment for South Shore Vo-Tech could have emerged as a surprise.

“How do we not know that that $700,000 is not sitting in a school account right now to be used to pay for it between South Shore Vo-Tech and Norfolk Aggie?” Kelly said. 

Town Treasurer Sean Strobel explained that, historically, detailed school budget documentation is not provided to the town’s finance team.

“We do not receive a detailed budget proposal from the school department,” Strobel said.

Strobel added that while the schools are subject to public records laws, they are not legally required to provide detailed internal financial breakdowns unless specifically requested. He emphasized that strong cooperation between the schools and the town is critical for financial transparency.

Morin committed to investigating the issue further, stating he would meet with school officials to examine how the South Shore Vocational assessment might be funded. Morin explained that resolving the funding gap would likely involve reallocating free cash and making minor operational budget adjustments after discussions with department heads.

“This is six-tenths of one percent of your overall budget,” Morin said. “And that's a doable, that's a fixable problem. I can do this and I can do it in a way that's open and transparent.”

The Select Board emphasized the importance of restoring public trust and ensuring full visibility into the budgeting process ahead of the June meeting. Board members also discussed the possibility of future improvements in how the town receives school financial data.

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