This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Voters Split on Special Election Issues

Some believe town cannot afford big ticket items. Others think it is an investment in town's future

Marblehead voters have plenty to think about today as they vote in a special election with 10 issues, many of them high-ticket items, on the ballot.

From informal exit polling at the Marblehead Community Center and the Star of the Sea Community Center, voters had strong passions about several items, particularly the school funding proposals. But other voters, many of them saying they were retired, opposed several issues because they are just "too expensive."

Bob Goodwin, describing himself as retired and living on a fixed income, said he voted to cap the landfill and build a new transfer station. But he was concerned about the other items. "I think they are too expensive," he said.

Find out what's happening in Marbleheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mike Greenberg said every issue had merit and he had supported all the issues at Town Meeting. But today he thought that the proposed Pleasant Street renovations  might not be necessary. "It is not so terribly awful to drive along there," he said. "It is a question of what you can afford."

Younger voters, particularly parents with children, supported the school issues, adding artificial turf to the high school, rebuilding Glover School and building technology and furniture for the Village School.

Find out what's happening in Marbleheadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Karen and Bill Corbett were manning a sign outside the Community Center in support of the funding for Glover. "They are investments in our community," Bill Corbett said. He said he expects all the issues to be well supported. He pointed out that most issues passed unanimously at the Town Meeting.

And Corbett said he believes the town has managed its finances well. "There won't be a big impact," he said, referring to increases in the property tax bills.

Betsy Masleck, the mother of three children who play sports, supported funding for the artificial turf at Marblehead High School. "We need the turf," she said. "The students can't practice early enough in the year. And it makes the school look better. Besides it rains all spring. With artificial turf, they can practice 24 hours a day. It is like adding five new fields."

Steve Tenney, who also supported the artificial turf issue, said field space in Marblehead is limited. And the high school teams have to compete against other public and private schools that have artificial turf, he said.

Meanwhile, at the Star of the Sea Community Center, Lisa Millett, Bernadette Butterfield and Cindy Schieffer were supporting the turf issue. "It saves gallons of water and there is little or no maintenance," Millett said.

Abby Rausch and School Committee member Eurim Chun were also manning signs at the Star of Sea Community Center. They were there to support rebuilding Glover. The women praised the school leadership for managing the school finances as well as they have.

"Marblehead has a reputation with the state for coming in on time and on budget," Chun said. "We have used the money wisely and proved our need," she said.

Rausch, who has children as students at Glover, said the school is in bad shape physically and needs to be rebuilt. But she said it is not just the parents at Glover supporting the issue. "A lot of people are supporting the Glover funding," she said.

Others disagreed. "The town needs to tighten its belt like we are," said one man who declined to give his name.

Alex, who did not disclose her last name, said she voted "no" on all issues. "I hope it all fails. The town is spending too much," she said.

Bob Latham echoed the sentiment. "It's too much. It's the wrong time," he said.

However, Scott Bernstein said he supported the schools because "I have young kids." But he felt that many of the items were very expensive. "The town can't afford these items." He opposed the funding for the landfill and transfer station "because it is too expensive for the town."

Audrey Connelly said she wanted to support the board of health and the landfill. "I don't like the price, but we have to do it," she said.

Tom and Kate Mann came to vote for Question 3, which proposes the town  buy the property at 57 Stony Brook Road that was found to be contaminated by the landfill operations.

The Manns know the Dinsmore family. They also supported the school issues, including the artificial turf question. But they did not vote for other items they felt were "too expensive."

Pete Blazedale said the town needs to spread the costs out. "It is too much. If the schools want a box of pencils, they go for an override," he said

A woman pushing a stroller into the Community Center, who didn't give her name, said she was voting for everything. "It will make our house more valuable, won't it?"

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?