Marshfield Advisory Board Begins Department-by-Department Budget Review Before Town Meeting

MARSHFIELD — May 27, 2026 — Marshfield Advisory Board begins building its own budget math ahead of a high-stakes Town Meeting vote. Meeting May 27, the board heard from Interim Town Administrator Peter Morin, who explained how the town's projected deficit shrank from $7 million to $5.6 million — roughly $300,000 from a health insurance increase coming in at 10 percent rather than 14 percent, and about $1.1 million from line-by-line department reductions on the town side only, leaving school figures untouched. Morin confirmed that none of the three warrant options — no override, a roughly $4 million override, or the $5.6 million override — funds pending collective bargaining agreements with police, fire, DPW, and school unions, noting that 1 percent in across-the-board raises costs approximately $750,000. Veterans Agents Karen Pellett and Lisa Potts told the board their office absorbed a two-stage $110,000 cut, with the second $60,000 reduction hitting the salary line and threatening to eliminate the department's only assistant position; Pellett said the office processes more than $1 million per month in VA benefit claims for 302 Marshfield families. Select Board member Eric Kelly, attending as an observer, said he would support restoring the veterans budget. The board catalogued preliminary wish-list figures from human resources ($26,853 to restore cut hours), the planning department ($72,000 for an assistant planner), and the Board of Public Health ($53,000 to avoid staffing reductions), and agreed to meet Tuesday and Thursday the following week to continue department reviews before a planned joint session with the Select Board.