Marshfield Sets July 25 Special Election, Elects Smith as Select Board Chair

MARSHFIELD — May 11, 2026 — Marshfield Select Board seats Rick Smith, schedules July 25 special election to fill third seat. The board, meeting for the first time as a reconstituted two-member body following Smith's win in Saturday's town election, voted unanimously to set the vacancy election after Town Clerk Narice Casper certified a 255-signature citizen petition — well above the 200-signature threshold required under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 41, Section 10. Smith was immediately elected chair and outgoing Chair Eric Kelly became vice chair. The meeting's most contentious hour centered on a communications proposal from Smith urging schools, DPW, and the Advisory Board to publish a plain-language summary of the three budget options in Article 3 of the Annual Town Meeting warrant before the June 15 town meeting — options ranging from a no-override balanced budget to a five million six hundred thousand dollar override. Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan disclosed that 103 pink slips, including roughly 40 to teachers, had been issued in the prior week. Kelly, who stated flatly "I think the town's spending is out of control," confirmed he would not vote to place an override question on a ballot, meaning the town defaults to the no-override budget on July 1 absent a board change.