New Recall Effort Launched Against Marshfield Select Board Chair

A new effort is underway in Marshfield to remove Select Board Chair Eric Kelley from office, and this time the campaign is being led by fellow elected officials.

Marshfield School Committee Chair Sean Costello and Vice Chair Lara Brait have initiated a recall effort against Kelley, citing concerns about the future of school funding and the role residents should play in deciding major budget questions.

In an exclusive interview with the South Shore Times, Brait said she felt compelled to act after watching the debate around school funding unfold.

“I’m committed to serving the families of this community and ensuring that we maintain the schools Marshfield deserves,” said Brait. “I've been watching the discussion play out about our schools - what they do and the investment needed to do that - and couldn't just sit on the sidelines as decisions are being made that could undermine decades of progress. As an elected official, a business owner, and a mom, I had to do something.”

Brait stressed that the recall initiative was being undertaken in her role as a private citizen, not in her official capacity on the school committee.

The recall effort comes amid broader debate in town about school funding and whether residents should have the opportunity to vote on a tax override to support municipal and school budgets.

Brait said her concern centers on whether residents will ultimately have a chance to weigh in.

“I was most troubled by the fact that it appears the residents might not get a say in the matter,” she said. “If an override fails, it fails. But as a town government that values the principle of civic participation, it is the people of this community who should have a voice in that decision, not one person preventing a vote.”

Brait pointed to a similar situation last year in Norwell, where the majority of the Select Board opposed an override initiative but still allowed it to advance to the ballot so voters could make the final decision.

"The first step in the recall election process is the affidavit. In order to recall an elected official in Massachusetts, constituents must first submit an affidavit that lists the person's name and office with the reason for recalling the individual. The affidavit needs to be submitted to the town clerk, reviewed, and approved," said Marshfield Town Clerk Narice Casper in a written statement to the South Shore Times in October. "Once the affidavit is approved, it must be returned to the town clerk's office with 100 signatures of registered voters within 14 days.”

That affidavit was filed with the town clerk's office on Friday.

A previous recall effort targeting Kelley emerged in the fall but failed to collect enough signatures to advance to the ballot.

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