Marshfield Moves Budget Vote to June, Orders Full $7 Million Override Option on Ballot

MARSHFIELD -- March 25, 2026, Marshfield Select Board delays budget vote to June and orders a full $7 million override option. Voting 2-1 at a packed March 25 joint session with the Advisory Board, the board moved all financial articles of the annual town meeting from April 27 to Monday, June 15, at Marshfield High School, then unanimously directed Co-Interim Town Administrator Charlie Sumner to draft a third "C budget" reflecting the town's full structural deficit so that town meeting attendees can deliberate and reduce the number at will. Sumner's presentation traced the roughly $7 million gap to overstated local receipts of nearly $1 million, a $1,266,000 South Shore Vocational Technical High School cost with no dedicated funding source, $440,000 in reduced enterprise fund reimbursements, and years of free cash used for recurring expenses including a $1.1 million retroactive fire union contract. Advisory Board Chair Chris Simonelli told the board his members "unanimously are requesting more time," and member Peter Simonelli said he would abstain from advising on any matters presented that evening. School Committee Chair Sean Costello warned that even a $4 million partial override leaves the schools facing more than $2 million in additional cuts on top of $1.6 million already reduced over two years. The board also voted unanimously to execute the May 2 annual town election warrant without an override question, scheduling a separate special election for the override ballot after June 15.