The Marion Select Board met on Monday for a special meeting to continue discussions on the FY26 Draft Budget and the Draft Town Meeting Warrant. The Select Board and town administrator seek to have the Draft Town Meeting Warrant finalized as soon as possible, so they began with discussions on the contained articles.
As the warrant is still a draft, the articles and dollar amounts are still subject to change. Article 1, dealing with various boards year over year, was approved with no further comment. Article 2 is the FY26 budget itself, and the General Fund Operating Budget. Finance Director Heather O’Brien stated, “we’re still working on closing that to zero, but we’re getting very close.” She added there is nothing to vote on for this article yet. Articles 3 and 4, which deal with Water and Sewer respectively, were approved without question.
Addressing Article 5, the Board of Accessors overlay and was also agreed upon without question. Article 6 is in reference to the allocation of $50,000 of Free Cash for the funding of accrued benefits for retiring employees, which is to be amended to add the current grand total of available funds. Article 7, covering Free Cash allotment to maintenance, will also be amended to include this. Article 8 is the proposed update to the town’s finance system and time-keeping software. The cost needs to be added to the article, as it currently contains a placeholder. Article 9 is the transfer of Free Cash to the Building Commissioner for emergency demolition services.
Article 10 deals with tax foreclosure procedures on delinquent real estate parcels in town. Articles 11 and 12 were both added recently from requests from the Marion School Committee. Article 11 covers out-of-district placement costs, with Article 12 written for the purchase of new math curriculum. Article 13 is for the transfer of $300,000 in Free Cash to DPW for road and sidewalk maintenance. Article 14 proposes the allocation of $150,000 in Free Cash for funding and salary adjustments for non-union personnel.
Article 15 proposes $100,000 for the funding of student officers’ training for the Police Department. Article 16 is for the large-scale monetary transfer for the town’s Capital Improvement Plan. Article 17 covers renovations to the Marion Town House for ADA compliance, fire suppression, building-code compliance, and HVAC additions. Article 18 is for the payment of $12,000,000 in debt for Old Rochester Regional School District capital improvements. Article 19 sees $100,000 transferred to the Other Post-Employment Benefit Liability Trust Fund (OPEB).
Article 20 is an annual article to spend $2,000 of the Chester A. Vose Fund for the reduction of taxes. Article 21 is a Town Bylaw change, altering Section 7-16 (Duties) of Article IV (Community Preservation Committee) of Chapter 7 (Boards, Commission and Committees) of the Code Of Marion for the slight modification of text and grammar in the bylaw. Article 22 uses a placeholder dollar amount and is for the return of unobligated Community Preservation Act (CPA) project-allocated funds back to the town’s Community Preservation Act fund. Article 23 is an annual article that covers some administrative costs for the Community Preservation Committee. Article 24, as Town Administrator Geoffrey Gormansaid, “is an administrative article to move monies around.”
Article 25 is for the restoration of the Marion Congressional Church’s historic clock. Article 26 sees the standardization of signage for various open spaces and recreational areas. Article 27 sees $536,547 of previously approved CPA funds reallocated for Townhouse sprinklers and ADA compliance. Article 28 is for $33,000 of CPA funds to be allocated to the assessment and preservation of Native American artifacts at the Marion Natural History Museum. Article 29 sees the funding for the Marion Shared Use Path Easement Appraisals, originally approved in May 2022, be automatically moved back to the Community Preservation Fund after June 30, 2026.
Article 30 extends the deadline for the Marion Shared Use Path Easements approved in May 2024, to be automatically moved back to the Community Preservation Fund after June 30, 2027. Article 31 extends the funding period for the Boatyard Park Survey and Signage Project. Article 32 deletes Chapter 120 (Stretch Energy Code) from the Code of Marion. Article 33 amends Article VII (Oaths) of Chapter 7 (Boards, Commissions and Committees) of the Code of Marion by changing grammar, the article’s title, and its layout. Article 34 amends Article II (Water Use Restrictions) of Chapter 218 (Water) of the Code of Marion by altering grammar and bolding/underlining text.
Article 35 is for the adoption of a historic district and the addition of Chapter XXX (Marion Village Historic District) to the Code of Marion. Article 36 is for the addition of Chapter 193 (Stormwater management) to the Code of Marion. Article 36 was struck from the Warrant and removed by a vote from Select Board members Toby Burr and Randy Parker until more discussion takes place. Article 37 amends Section 230-8.14 (Reserved) of Chapter 230 (Zoning) of the Code of Marion with the addition of a section on “Protected Use Accessory Dwelling Units.” Article 38 updates zoning definitions and floor-area information in the Code of Marion. Article 39 removes Section 8.6 (Accessory Apartments) of Article VIII (Special Provisions) from the Code of Marion.
Article 40 adds Section 8.15 (Short-Term Rentals) of Chapter 203 (Zoning) to the Code of Marion. Article 41 changes the principle-use table to reflect the previously discussed, proposed bylaw additions. Article 42 is the acceptation of a local, short-term-rental occupancy tax. Article 43 refers to the Heroes Act and increases the amount of veterans’ exemption allowed. Article 44 authorizes the Select Board to accept to convey grants of easement for streets, water, drainage, sewer, and utility.
Articles 45 and 46 are for revolving funds, 45 Recreation and 46 Public Health. The next few are annual, with Articles 47-51 authorizing the Select Board to carry out its usual duties.
Article 52 sees if the town will consider reports from town officers and committees. Article 53 approves the ballot for all necessary town officials for the Town Election on May 16.
The final articles are citizens petitions. Article 54 withdraws from the Green Communities program. Article 56 removes the Harbormaster and the office of from within the Police Department. Article 57 regards the maintenance of roads and sidewalks.
The three questions on the ballot cover authorization of debt exclusion for Town House renovations, debt exclusion for ORR School District, and debt exclusion for the citizens petition regarding road/sidewalks maintenance. A final, special article, Article S1, transfers $25,000 for supplement snow and ice.
Changes to the Town Meeting Warrant will conclude on Tuesday, April 1, with the warrant being posted April 2. The Annual Town Meeting is to be held on Monday, May 12.
The next regular meeting of the Marion Select Board will take place Tuesday, April 1, at 6:00 pm in the Marion Town House’s conference room.
Marion Select Board
By Sam Bishop