MARBLEHEAD — While Town Meeting began at 7 p.m. inside of Veterans Middle School on Monday, community members belonging to multiple unions made their voices heard outside the building before it started, demanding “fair contracts” and “fully funded” operating budgets.
Dozens of municipal workers, belonging to six different unions, participated in a stand-out at the school starting at 6 p.m., making their demands seen and heard by hundreds of residents as they filed into the building.
The demonstration was the latest part of a strong push from unions in town, particularly the Marblehead Education Association, which has demanded “fair contracts” and for the School Committee to present a “fully funded” fiscal year 2025 school budget.
By the time Town Meeting reached Articles 20 and 21, pertaining to the appropriation of sums of money for collective bargaining agreements, the unions and the town had not reached agreements, causing the articles to be indefinitely postponed. Contracts for the unions are set to expire this summer.
In a joint statement, union leaders called the cuts that have been proposed for the town’s FY25 budget “irresponsible and unnecessary.”
“What other risks do we take when Police, Fire, and other town-side departments are also asked year after year to do more with less?” the statement reads. “Vital resident services are delayed, Marblehead becomes less safe, and our municipal employees, firefighters, and police officers are burned out from the one-two punch of being underpaid and overworked.”
Despite the School Committee approving a budget of nearly $46.7 million, which will restore nearly $1.4 million in cuts, the school district will still not be operating at a “fully funded level,” which the MEA is demanding.
“We have already seen the harm that can arise when our schools are not adequately staffed, putting students and staff at risk. Without a significant course correction, our public schools are in danger of significant and substantial decline,” the statement reads.
Between the town and schools, the cuts will total roughly $4.2 million, despite the restorations in the school budget.
Union leaders also said in the statement that Marblehead has “ample ability” to generate new revenue.
Later in the evening, multiple articles dealing with the addition and increase of varying taxes and fees were also presented.
Articles 24 and 25, concerning the adoption of a local meals tax and a local rooms tax, respectively, both passed. During his State of the Town address in January, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer proposed the taxes, citing the fact that many communities in the region have already adopted them as another method of generating revenue.
According to the town, a customer would pay an extra 75 cents on a $100 bill under the food tax in Article 24. Article 25 proposed a rate of up to 6% “upon the transfer of occupancy of a room in a bed and breakfast establishment, hotel, lodging house, short-term rental, or motel located within the Town of Marblehead.” However, an amendment to the article called for a decrease from 6% to 4%, which was rejected.
According to the Department of Revenue, the town could expect to generate $480,000 to $492,000 per year as a result of the 6% local tax.
Resident Albert Jordan said that incorporating the local food tax was long overdue, and supported both articles.
“We missed the boat on this for a long time. They’re doing this all over the North Shore,” Jordan said. “Marblehead needs more revenue, and we should have done this a long time ago.”
