MARBLEHEAD — The Marblehead Liberty Foundation is seeking to have a second Town Meeting, saying it has seen strong early support as it gathers signatures for what it calls a “People’s Special Town Meeting.”
In a press release issued April 30, the group said it is collecting signatures to provide the people of Marblehead with a “sensible option to the massive multi-year overrides proposed by the Town.”
The foundation acknowledged in a follow-up interview that Jack Buba, a Marblehead resident, is a member of the group and is listed as the group’s registered point of contact. Though all of its responses “represent the unanimous position of the other foundation members.”
The effort comes as Marblehead officials prepare for the May 4 Town Meeting, which will present voters with a three-tier override plan that, if approved, will come before voters again at the ballot in June. The proposal would present voters with three override options — $9 million, $12 million, and $15 million — each building on the one below it and phased in over three years.
The foundation argues that residents are being asked to choose between limited alternatives. In the release, the group said taxpayers face “punishing cuts to services or a $9 – $15 million override forever.”
It says the Special Town meeting would “provide the people of Marblehead with a sensible option to the massive multi-year overrides proposed by the Town.”
The Foundation believes that there are “reasonable alternatives to the severe options currently under consideration for Marblehead taxpayers.”
The foundation “urges all Marblehead citizens to reject the one-size-fits-all giant-override articles and the trash override at the Town Meeting.”
Under Massachusetts law, town officials must schedule a special town meeting within 45 days if at least 200 registered voters sign a valid petition. The foundation said its initiative is centered on what it calls a “Fix It First” approach — funding basic operations in the short term while pursuing structural changes to town government.
“Approve only enough funding so the town can function for another year while town leaders work on fundamentally changing how the town operates,” the release said.
According to the petition, the proposed meeting would include articles aimed at restoring or maintaining services and controlling costs.
Those include keeping the library open, restoring funding for the Council on Aging, and avoiding a new trash collection fee by proposing a smaller override to cover an estimated $1.5 million contract increase rather than a larger request.
Another article calls for hiring an outside consulting firm to review municipal operations and recommend efficiencies.
The group also urged residents to reject current override proposals at the May 4 Town Meeting, stating that a later special meeting would give voters “a real opportunity to be heard and restore the services they want.”
In follow-up responses, the foundation said early engagement has been strong. “The response so far has been very encouraging, with broad engagement from residents. We’re confident we’re on track to surpass the required number of signatures and look forward to the next steps in the process,” the foundation said.
It also described widespread support for its approach. “The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” the foundation said. “There’s a strong sense that people want to prioritize maintaining and improving what we already have before taking on new commitments, and that perspective is driving a great deal of the engagement we’re seeing.”
The group said its decision to pursue the petition was driven by frustration among residents. “Our decision to start this petition was driven by a clear need to be heard,” the foundation said, adding that the effort is intended to ensure “thoughtful, balanced decision-making and pursuing a more sensible path forward that reflects the priorities and voices of our residents.”
The April 30 release further states that “citizens are tired of being ignored by town leaders,” pointing to past disagreements over issues such as trash fees, zoning proposals, and how override questions are presented to voters.
Dan Fox, chair of the Select Board, said the override plan reflects months of collaboration among local officials and committees.
“This override proposal is not a standalone idea—it is the result of a thorough and deliberate budget process. Over the past several months, our department heads, Town Administrator, Finance Director, Finance Committee, School Committee, and Select Board have worked collaboratively to evaluate Marblehead’s needs, identify constraints, and develop a responsible path forward. The recommendation before Town Meeting reflects that collective effort and careful consideration.”
He added, “These are important decisions that will impact the services we rely on and the character of our town. For hundreds of years, these issues have been debated at our annual Town Meeting, and I see no reason to change that now.”
Fox said, “I encourage residents to attend and participate in the annual Town Meeting on May 4th. This has always been the forum for Marbleheaders to take part in the discussion surrounding the budget and any proposed overrides.”
Jack Attridge, the town moderator, also criticized the framing of the petition effort.
“Every Town Meeting for 376 years has been ‘The People’s Town Meeting,’” Attridge said. “It is an affront to our coveted form of democracy to portray it otherwise.”
State records list the Marblehead Liberty Foundation as an unincorporated association registered with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. While the database does not show annual filings, the state notes that missing entries do not necessarily indicate noncompliance.
