The final article on the warrant for the Marion 2026 Annual Town Meeting is a previously tabled Citizens Petition from November’s Special Town Meeting asking if voters support property owners’ right to install, at their own expense, a secondary meter for outdoor water usage.
A successful Article 43 may help some homeowners avoid footing Marion’s substantial sewer costs by changing how they are billed. A second water meter for outdoor usage would allow residents to use town water outside and not be billed for putting it through the town’s sewer system.
The Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 11 at 6:00 pm in Sippican School.
The annual review of the Town Meeting Warrant was held on Wednesday, April 29, with the Marion Select Board and other town representatives in the Marion Music Hall, where they had met the night prior to go over the Harbor Management Plan.
Articles 1 – 5: Town Administrator Geoffrey Gorman kicked off the meeting, explaining the Select Board would be going through each article chronologically and asked those with questions to rise to the podium. Executive Assistant Donna Hemphill began reading though the beginning articles which focus on finance and budget: Article 1 was to pay town officials; Article 2 is the town operating budget for FY27; Article 3 is the operating budget for the Water Enterprise Fund; Article 4 is the operating budget for the Sewer Enterprise Fund; and Article 5 is for the transfer of $25,000 from the Overlay Surplus Account to the Board of Accessors for revaluation of property.
Articles 6 – 10: Continuing on with budgetary items, Article 6 is the transfer of $15,000 in Free Cash to the Compensated Absence Account for town employees; Article 7 is the transfer of $50,000 in Free Cash to the Facilities Department to complete building maintenance projects; Article 8 is the transfer of $7,675 in Free Cash to the Tree Warden for the emergency removal of diseased and storm-damaged trees; and Article 9 is the transfer of $25,000 in Free Cash to supplement the remaining balance from Article 10 of the 2008 Town Meeting which was for instituting tax-foreclosure proceedings on delinquent real estate parcels. The town administrator then read, with Article 10 being the reallocation of $36,000 originally allocated to Article 14 of the 2024 Town Meeting to be now used by the Department of Public Works for the construction of a water main at Island Wharf.
Articles 11 – 15: Article 11 is the reallocation of $50,000 originally allocated to Article 9 of the 2022 Town Meeting to be now used by the Department of Public Works for the upgrading of the East and West Wells; Article 12 is the reallocation of $61,000 originally allocated to Article 16 of the 2025 Town Meeting to be now used by the Department of Public Works for the construction of stormwater upgrades to 290 Delano Road; Article 13 is for the transfer of $300,000 in Free Cash to the Department of Public Works for the improvement of public ways; Article 14 is the transfer of $20,000 in Free Cash to the Finance Department to complete the final phase of the Compensation Review; and Article 15 is a list of prioritized capital improvement projects.
Articles 16 – 20: The town administrator continued, with Article 16 being the transfer of $684,823 from the General Stabilization Fund to the Old Rochester Regional School Committee to fund the deficit of the Gateway Health Trust; Article 17 is the transfer of $75,000 from the School Stabilization Fund to the remaining balance from Article 9 of the 2024 Town Meeting for the purpose of funding out-of-district placement; Article 18 is the transfer of $25,000 to the 175th Anniversary Committee to fund celebrations for the town’s anniversary next year; Article 19 is the transfer of $52,060 to the Information Technology (IT) Department to upgrade the online licensing/permitting system for the town; and Article 20 is an annual article for the transfer of $100,000 in Free Cash to the Other Post-Employment Benefit (OPEB) Liability Trust Fund.
Articles 21 – 22: Article 21 is the transfer of $2,000 from the Chester A. Vose Fund to the Board of Assessors for the reduction of taxes, and Article 22 is the transfer of $87,069,68 from the DPW Operations Building Construction Fund to the Board of Assessors for the reduction of taxes. Articles 23 – 30: These articles are to see if the town will vote in favor of recommendations made by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC). Article 23 is to allocate $12,000 from FY27 for the committee’s administrative expenses; Article 24 is for the allocation of $153,702 to meet the requirements of the Community Preservation Act and $346,638 to the Community Preservation Act Budgeted Reserves; Article 25 is the allocation of $146,800 from CPA Undesignated Funds balance and $100,000 from the Historic Preservation Reserves to restore, repair, and stabilize the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the corner of Front Street and Cottage Street; Article 26 is for the allocation of $22,140 from the Open Space and Recreation reserves to be allocated to renovate the Washburn Park Bathhouse and make it America With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant; Article 27 is the allocation of $22,140 from the Open Space Recreation reserves to renovate the Silvershell Beach Bathhouse and make it ADA compliant; Article 28 is the allocation of $37,600 from CPA Undesignated Funds to Point Road Bike Path design and engineering; Article 29 is the allocation of $79,900 from CPA Undesignated Funds to install Sparrow Hills Trails and Interpretive Signs; and Article 30 is to extend the period for the completion of the Marion Shared-Use-Path Easement Appraisals from June 30, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
Articles 31 – 35: Article 31 is a larger article and is to Amend Chapter 109 (Animal Control) of the Code of Marion to include provisions on feces removal, kennel inspection, kennel licenses, and more; Article 32 is the authorization of imposition of municipal charge liens in tandem with the recently approved Stormwater Management Bylaw; Article 33 will authorize but not require the Select Board to accept grants for easements of street, water, drainage, sewer, and utility purposes; and Article 34 and Article 35 are for the reauthorization of the Recreation Revolving Fund and the Public Health Revolving Fund, respectively.
Articles 36 – 42: Article 36 is to authorize the Select Board to apply on behalf of the town to state or federal agencies for aid or other funds; Article 37 authorizes the Select Board to defend the town pursuits of law; Article 38 authorizes the Select Board to get rid of surplus; Article 39 authorizes the Select Board to sell or transfer taxation possession property held by the town; and Article 40 authorizes the Select Board to negotiate and enter into lease agreements. Article 41 asks the town to consider reports from town officers and committees; and, finally, Article 42 sets ballots and open positions for the May 15 Town Election.
Article S1 transfers $219,869.19 of Free Cash to the DPW to pay for expenses associated with the removal of record snow, and Article S2 transfers any remaining balance in the FY26 Group Insurance budget to the General Stabilization Fund.
Chair Randy Parker of the Select Board put forth a motion to adjourn, which was approved by the board. The Marion 2026 Annual Town Meeting is on Monday, May 11 at 6:00 pm in Sippican School, 16 Spring Street.
Marion Town Meeting Warrant Review
By Sam Bishop