Marshfield Voters Back Expanding Select Board to Five

Town Meeting voters overwhelmingly approved a citizen’s petition Monday night to expand the town’s select board from three members to five, marking a significant step toward restructuring local government leadership.

The vote on Article 6 came after extended discussion at Marshfield High School, where residents weighed the town’s growth, governance challenges and the potential benefits of a larger board. A standing vote showed strong support, with 483 voters in favor and 31 opposed.

The proposal, brought forward by resident Brian Fleming, frames the change as a structural adjustment rather than a political one, aimed at improving communication, oversight and capacity within town government.

“This proposal is not political. It is structural,” Fleming told voters as he introduced the article.

Fleming argued that Marshfield’s population and operational demands have outgrown a three-member board, noting that the town has more than 25,000 residents and oversees dozens of committees. He said the current structure limits communication due to open meeting law restrictions and concentrates oversight responsibilities among too few officials.

“Our current town government structure isn’t working,” Fleming said. “The job of serving on the select board for a town of Marshfield’s size and complexity has simply become too much for any three individuals to manage.”

Supporters of the measure echoed those concerns, pointing to both workload and representation. Advisory Board member Vin Fallacara said the board had reviewed the proposal multiple times and backed it unanimously.

“We voted unanimously to support this,” Fallacara said.

Several residents also spoke in favor, citing the need for broader perspectives and improved coordination across town departments and committees. One resident noted that earlier efforts to study the issue had reached similar conclusions.

Others emphasized the importance of adding capacity during a period of financial and administrative strain, with the town facing budget challenges and ongoing governance issues.

Not all speakers supported the change. Select Board Chair Eric Kelly argued that expanding the board would not address underlying issues, particularly communication constraints imposed by state law.

“The biggest issue in my opinion is that it’s the open meeting laws,” Kelly said. “The board members, regardless of three or five, need to be able to communicate.”

Monday’s vote is only the first step in what could be a lengthy process. Under the procedure outlined during the meeting, the proposal must next be considered by the select board, which would decide whether to advance it to the Massachusetts Legislature as a home rule petition. State approval and the governor’s signature would be required before the measure returns to Marshfield voters for a final decision.

Despite Monday night’s overwhelming approval by Town Meeting, the fate of the select board expansion is uncertain. With Kelley’s stated opposition to the proposal, it is unclear whether the measure will advance to the next step in the process.

The current composition of the board has created a broader challenge for town governance. Following the resignation of former member Trish Simpson, the select board is operating with two members: Chair Erik Kelley and Steve Darcy. Kelley is the subject of a recall petition, and Darcy has said he will not seek re-election. With only two members, any split vote would prevent action, leaving major decisions in limbo.

That dynamic extends beyond the expansion proposal. On April 21, Town Clerk Narice Casper notified the select board that the board of registrars had certified a recall petition against Kelley. Under the town charter, once a recall petition is certified, the select board is required to act.

It states: “The selectmen shall forthwith give written notice of the receipt of the certificate to the officer sought to be recalled and shall, if the officer does not resign within five (5) days thereafter, order an election to be held on a date fixed by them not less than sixty (60) nor more than seventy (70) days after the date of the town clerk’s certificate that a sufficient petition has been filed.”

Kelley declined to act on that notification at the board’s most recent meeting, leaving the timeline for a recall election unresolved.

The board has also not set a date for a special election to fill Simpson’s vacant seat. Without a third member, the board remains at risk of deadlock on key votes, including whether to send the select board expansion proposal to the state Legislature.

At the same time, the search for a permanent town administrator remains ongoing. Previous reporting by South Shore Times has documented delays and divisions over interim leadership, further complicating decision-making during a period of financial and operational strain.