MARBLEHEAD — Marblehead’s ongoing noncompliance with the state’s 3A zoning law is producing financial consequences, including the potential loss of key grants that help fund the town’s senior transportation program.
Town officials warn that without restored eligibility, Marblehead could face significant costs to maintain the Council on Aging’s (COA) shuttle service, which provides thousands of rides each year to older residents and people with disabilities.
At the recent Select Board meeting, Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer confirmed that Marblehead is no longer eligible for the Community Transit Grant Program, a major source of funding for both vehicle replacement and operational support. The program has supplied the town with three of its four existing COA vans and provides an 80% state match for replacement vehicles, which log heavy mileage and are replaced on a routine cycle.
“Any replacement of the vans would have to come from Marblehead sources of funding,” Kezer said, noting that the loss of eligibility places unplanned financial pressure on the budget. The grant program has also supplied approximately $45,000 annually for operational support, including fuel and driver costs.
The COA vans are widely considered a lifeline for Marblehead’s older residents. Executive Director of the COA, Lisa Hooper, interviewed separately, emphasized how dependent the program is on outside funding. “People should realize the town of Marblehead’s transportation program is not fully funded by the town. We need the grants and private donations for it to work,” she said.
So far this year alone, the program has provided 5,442 rides to 251 people using four vans and four part-time drivers. Transporting individuals to medical appointments, grocery stores, the COA, fitness classes, the food pantry, and other essential destinations.
While the COA has secured a one-time supplemental grant of about $20,000 to partially offset the immediate loss, Hooper said that the situation may become more serious next year if the town remains ineligible. Without access to state funding, the COA may need to rely more heavily on private donations or delay replacement of ageing vehicles.
Select Board Member Erin Noonan expressed frustration that Marblehead is one of the few communities in the state not in compliance with the bipartisan law.
“We’re losing money we don’t have, and there are things we are not getting that we could be getting,” Noonan said. “Every meeting we’ve had, something else has come up that we’ve lost.
“It’s a shame that we had a campaign of active disinformation and fear-mongering. … I frankly find it shameful that we are one of a handful of communities,” that have not complied with the 3A, she said.
Noonan added, “I’m still flabbergasted by it, and it’s heart-wrenching being on this side of the table, and people thought we didn’t know what we’re talking about when we said this was going to happen.”
For now, the COA transportation program continues to operate as usual, but its long-term stability will depend on whether the town can regain compliance and restore access to critical grant funding.
