MARBLEHEAD — The offices of Select Board, School Committee, and municipal light commissioner will be contested in the upcoming election.
Marblehead’s town election will be held Tuesday, June 16. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters are asked to vote for five people to fill the seats on the Marblehead Select Board. The six candidates running are incumbents Jackie Belf-Becker, Moses Grader, Judith R. Jacobi, and James E. Nye, and newcomers David Glen Depew and James R. Zisson.
Select Board member Harry Christensen is not running for reelection.
Depew, in a statement on his candidacy, said he has lived in Marblehead for 22 years. Depew previously served in the U.S. Navy before beginning a career in business, serving on the Conservation Commission, and serving as president of the Marblehead Cliffs Improvement Association. He and his wife have raised three daughters in town.
“While there are numerous positive things about how the town operates, I believe the town can be more accessible and more accountable to taxpayers,” Depew said. “I would be an advocate for people who need information or services. I would create an email account where people could request help dealing with the town. All requests would get a response within two business days.
‘At one time or another, we can all benefit from a human being taking an active interest in our needs.,” he said.
Zisson lives in Naugus Head with his wife and two daughters, who attend Marblehead schools. He enjoys growing vegetables for friends, family, and local nonprofits, and said he loves Marblehead for its spontaneous moments — such as coming close to two minke whales while kayaking off Cat Island last summer.
“Marblehead’s history, close-knit neighborhoods, locally owned businesses, saltwater, and town spirit make for a wonderful town. Nobody I know wants to change that,” Zisson said. “However, almost every year, there seems to be some sort of financial disaster either brewing or happening. We pay healthy taxes, the FinCom does yeoman’s work planning a detailed budget, yet we find assets like roads, sidewalks and public buildings in desperate need of repair. Many of our Town departments are stretched thin and it’s not getting better.”
Zisson said he would develop a town charter to serve as “running rules” for town governance and closely monitor town expenses.
Grader, an incumbent, said he is well positioned to lead the town during the unique challenges of 2020, and said COVID-19 will likely affect the town’s budget, and that he will help town governance maintain “continuity.”
“I bring over a decade of service to the town, which includes three years as Selectman and nine years as a member and chair of the Marblehead Finance Committee. My collaborative approach reflects my experience as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, an executive in the financial services industry, and a finance business entrepreneur working in Marblehead,” he said.
For School Committee, voters are asked to choose two candidates. The four people running are incumbents Sarah Jane Gold and Jennifer A. Schaeffner, and challengers Emily L. Barron and Catherine R. Martin.
Barron said she is running to “help ensure that none of our students experience being treated differently because of who they or what they can or can not do,” and that she is compassionate for those with challenges and differences — herself having dyslexia, her son being disabled, and her brother being Hispanic and deaf.
“I am running for school committee because I believe a school committee should consist of individuals who are committed to working together in a kind and respectful way bringing their expertise to the table to ultimately put students first. I also believe that a school committee member needs to understand what their role is and is not,” Barron said.
If elected, Barron said her priorities will be coming up with a comprehensive plan for the reopening of school this fall, and making sure the district works with students through “trauma-sensitive learning.”
The role of municipal light commissioner is also being contested, with Lisa Wolf challenging incumbent Michael Anthony Tumulty.
Other offices on the ballot are not contested, and candidates are all incumbent, including moderator, Gary A. Speiss; assessor, John P. Kelley; Board of Health, Todd Belf-Becker; Housing Authority, Joan D. Cutler; library trustees, Eurim Chun; Planning Board, Rossana Ferrante and Robert Schaeffner; Water and Sewer Commission, Thomas Carroll.
Visit the Marblehead town website, www.marblehead.org, for information on where to vote depending on your precinct.
