Where the candidates stand

Backs all three override questions and will vote Question 3, the $15M three-year option, which she says "simply restores the town to 2020 service levels." She lists what it funds: three police and four firefighter positions, a special education program for 18 to 22 year-olds, a DPW foreman, mental health funding, about $1.5M in capital repairs and a grant writer. She calls it "a responsible, measured path back to the service levels Marblehead residents deserve."

Beyond the override she points to revenue the town adopted in 2024, a 0.75% local meals tax and a 6% room occupancy tax together worth roughly $480,000 a year, plus a smart-growth zoning overlay and returning unused town property such as the Coffin School to the tax base. A five-year incumbent and an attorney, she disputes that residents broadly distrust officials, citing Town Meeting's roughly 90% support for the override proposal.

Says "the town needs an override" after attending the Finance Committee's budget session, but criticizes the process as "hurried." In the Current (May 19) she said she was "leaning towards supporting Tier 1 and/or Tier 2" and suggested keeping a possible underride "on the radar." In the Independent's voter guide she states her position more firmly: "I support Tier 2," and says she is open to a fee-based trash structure that gives "people more choice."

The Recreation and Park Commission chair, a former Planning Board member and an attorney, she calls for a "deep dive into all aspects of how we do business," including insurance, contracts and unused town property, and for better coordination across departments to "find creative solutions to not raise taxes."

Calls the town's finances "a genuine fiscal crisis" and says that after years of spending down reserves, raising the tax levy may be "an unfortunate but necessary step." She does not endorse a tier, citing concerns about transparency and noting that 2025 voters wanted a menu of choices that "deserved to be heard and respected." If the override passes and she is elected, she commits to "fight to ensure that the additional revenue is used to provide meaningful relief."

A current School Committee member and Housing Authority chair with a finance and banking background, she would apply "zero-based budgeting across every town department," look for shared services to cut duplication, and grow revenue through tourism and a more business-friendly approach "without adding to the tax burden on our residents."

Will vote Tier 3: "Tier 3 isn't a wish list. It's the invest-and-improve tier." Appointed in September 2025 and a chief financial officer by profession, she says she has spent six months "inside this budget" through the override working group. She warns the FY27 budget is balanced only by a $1.5M one-time special education prepayment, "a structural hole we're papering over," and that without new revenue FY28 could force "another 30 to 50 positions" in cuts.

On enrollment, down 24% since 2016-17 with 215 students leaving in 2024-25, she wants the district's exit interviews made "systematic, not anecdotal," and the schools' record told "clearly and early." She frames the override commitments as something to track, "not letting that document sit in a drawer."

Says the town's "tax levy capacity needs to grow" but does not commit to a tier, calling herself "troubled by what appears to have been a rushed process" and saying she is still "digging into" what each tier funds so she can "make an educated decision on June 9." In the Independent's guide she notes the current plan "does not return any of the eliminated positions to the schools at any tier," and that a projected $2M surplus might allow full-day kindergarten to be "phased in" without a full override.

A former two-term member and budget subcommittee chair, she wants the district to "work collaboratively towards a zero-based budget" built on a current analysis of student needs "rather than simply rolling over what may currently exist," and renews her call for exit surveys of departing families.

Supports the override and backs Tier 3: "I believe that this is a structural deficit that cannot be overcome by just cutting more and more from the budget." A retired educator and integrated preschool director, she says she would look to district leadership for an implementation plan, "timelines, staffing and salary calculations," on the 18 to 22 special education program.

She considers the FY27 budget right-sized, saying leaders "worked very hard to make cuts that had minimal impact on front-line work with children," while cautioning that "we need to make sure that we do not end up with insufficient staffing going forward." On enrollment she backs exit surveys but notes "there is very little the school district can do" about birth rates and housing costs.

Seeking another term as Town Meeting moderator, a role he has held for years and once described as "sort of my Netflix and my hobby." He says he prioritizes efficiency "without compromising quorum" and yields "in most cases, to the will of the assembly." He supports free childcare at Town Meeting and says he is exploring additional accommodations for residents with limited mobility.

Did not submit answers to the Independent's voter guide.

At the May 27 candidates forum, the lifelong resident and first-time candidate said he would focus on closer review of warrant articles, coordinating with town counsel, more consistent procedure (he questioned the use of hand counts over electronic clickers) and firmer enforcement of meeting decorum.

Says she is "begrudgingly voting Yes on 1 and 4" after criticizing the override process as rushed. In her third term, she proposes consolidating facilities upkeep under a new buildings and grounds department, and has made accessibility a signature issue, noting the town does not have "one park in town that is fully ADA compliant." She supported the turf plan.

"I would support the Tier 2 override," which he calls the most balanced option, and says trash costs "should be distributed evenly across the socioeconomic spectrum." A horticulturist who taught botany for 20 years, he was the lone dissenter on the 4-1 turf vote, citing microplastics, PFAS and heat.

Undecided on the override, saying "I go back and forth" on the tiers and on trash, and that she values "thoughtful, balanced decisions" over a quick answer. She supported the turf plan, citing more playability.

Says "a moderate override, around 2 to 4 percent" makes sense, and prefers an override to fees for trash, citing fairness and stability, while supporting "abatements/rebates to those where an increased tax/fee would be an unduly financial burden." A first-time candidate, he opposes the turf plan: "Real grass and no chemicals, because that's what parks and kids are about."

Did not submit answers to the Independent's voter guide.

At the May 27 forum he supported the turf proposal, saying the town needs "more turf" and "more playability."

Did not submit answers to the Independent's voter guide, and a statement was read on his behalf at the forum because of a medical situation.

That statement cited more than 20 years in commercial real estate and coaching Marblehead youth sports, and said he is "the only candidate with children utilizing the fields today."

Appointed to the seat in early 2026 and seeking a full term, she supports the override and "specifically urges Tier 1" to fund a cemetery laborer position and Memorial Day preparation. She describes cemeteries as "primary sources of historic information" and calls for long-range planning for future cemetery space.

Supports Question 1, "because Council on Aging services depend on it." A former commission member with long service on the Recreation Board, she raises the idea that an abandoned pool near Waterside Cemetery "could be used as some grave lots."

Supports "all three tiers" plus the trash question, describing Tier 3 as "additional investment to deferred capital improvements." Director of planning and development at the Lynn Housing Authority for 18 years, he sees the Broughton Road site as an opportunity for "mixed-income residents, community space, and energy efficient" housing, with federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit safeguards.

Her voter-guide questionnaire response was incomplete in the source as of June 1.

On the Housing Authority since 1994, she runs on "a practical understanding of how it works, institutional knowledge, and commitment to the residents we serve," and notes she has attended town meetings "every single Wednesday night, rain, shine or snow."