Candidates running in three contested races in this year’s town election participated in the Marblehead League of Women Voters Candidates’ Night at the High School’s library on Tuesday evening.
Each of the candidates were given an opportunity to address topics related to the position they are running for, as well as make a case for why they should be elected.
With a smaller number of contested races compared to previous years, the Select Board and Recreation and Parks Commission races each have six candidates running for five seats.
This is the first year that the three-year staggered term process will be implemented after passing during Town Meeting in 2023. Incumbents Erin Noonan, Moses Grader, Bret Murray, and Alexa Singer are all running for reelection, with Daniel Fox and Dan Albert running as non-incumbents.
After nearly two decades serving on the Select Board, Jim Nye is not seeking reelection.
Select Board candidates were asked if they would support a Special Town Meeting this fall to reconsider the MBTA Communities Law that failed at Town Meeting earlier this month.
Because the zoning law is a state mandate that the town has to comply with by December 2024, it is likely that the article will surface again at a Special Town Meeting.
Fox said in his response that “we all knew this was coming” and he favors holding a Special Town Meeting later this year in order to get more residents involved.
“If you look in Marblehead, we have about 16,000 registered voters. There were 800 people at Town Meeting,” Fox said. That’s about 5%. So what happened was we had a little over 2.5% voting against it.”
Fox added that if elected, he would honor the decision of voters, but said he wants to see more representation and participation.
“I do feel that we need more people involved. We need more people to show up, and I think that’s something that I would like to do, is bring a fresh perspective to this and get more people involved,” Fox said.
Grader next commended the Planning Board for putting together a thorough plan, however, he said that he did not believe that “people listened to their argument” for incorporating the zoning. He also supported the reconsideration of the article.
Albert claimed that the town “is being lied to when we’re told this is a solution to a housing crisis,” while also pushing back on Sustainable Marblehead’s claim that the zoning will be better for the environment.
“The reality is it’s not,” Albert said. “It’s more cars in town, it’s more paving that violates our EPA (report).”
Noonan, the board’s chair, said that she expects a Special Town Meeting on the controversial article.
“This is well-established, well-settled law. This is the law,” Noonan said. “The vote at Town Meeting did not change that. This is the law, and we should comply with it.”
Murray said that “nobody likes a mandate,” but emphasized that by not complying, the town will not receive money from the state for town projects.
“By not voting on this, we are actually allowing our tax money to stay with the state and go to other communities when it should be coming back to Marblehead to do our needs, so we don’t have to increase our property taxes and reduce our tax levy,” Murry said. “Therefore, I am in support of a Special Town Meeting on this.”
Incumbent Alexa Singer was not present at the Candidates’ Night due to a work conflict, but provided a statement to the League, which was read before the candidates were asked questions.