I urge you to vote YES for article 44 and preserve tradition and improve democracy!!

The Marblehead Select Board has a very unique service format – a one year term.  No other Select Board or School Committee we know of has a 1-year term.  Most towns have a 3-year term for a reason. It improves governance and builds commitment. Article 44 proposes moving to a 3-year term to do just that while maintaining cherished traditions.

Many tend to think of the Select Board as a legislative body, but it is an executive body, as the Board functions collectively as a mayor.  When we think of any executive position – be it mayor, governor, or president – they are always multiyear terms. Why? So that long term strategies, initiatives, plans, and sub-committee leadership can be developed carefully and thoughtfully over an extended period time.

We want our Select Board to focus on running the Town and not running for reelection. Presently, in any given 12-month period, a Select Board candidate will have run 2 campaigns.  Think about that. Twice in 12 months, 3 times in 24 months. Planting lawn signs instead of reviewing budgets!!

Moving to a 3-year term would align with the School Committee and other Select Boards in the area. In any year, 1 or 2 seats would be up for election hence the term “staggered”. This allows for an experience base to remain as new people come on board.  Would we really want a freshman class of 5 Select Board members, year after year, every year?  No, we would not.

Some like the 1-year term so we can quote “throw the bums out”.  But frankly, todays Marblehead voters are a sophisticated bunch with social media and internet   research capabilities that were unheard of even a few years ago. Also, with a smaller field, it allows voters a chance to focus on individual candidates so as not to let the “bums” in to begin with.

Town Government in the year 2023 is complicated stuff. We have some huge issues in front of us, including ARPA projects, structural deficits,  and rebuilding a crumbling infrastructure of neglected roads, sidewalks, buildings, and IT systems.  We need people committed to 3 years of learning, listening and leadership.  We need committed leadership for the long haul.

Marblehead has a long history of preserving tradition while using Yankee ingenuity to keep up with the times.  We have preserved Abbot Hall, Fort Sewall, and the old Town House yet kept up with the times by adding handicapped accessibility, energy efficiency, and even bathrooms!  This very Town meeting now features projectors and PowerPoint presentations – unheard of in 1649.  The very first Select Board  was  a group of 7 members, all men with a one-year term.  No women allowed at Town Meeting. We have progressed very nicely to a group of 5 men and women with Zoom calls and a Town Administrator.  Now it’s time for another tweak to make the 1-year term 3 years!!!

One final note- This year’s election will go one as usual with a one-year term. It’s too late to change anything. The transition would start with a onetime election transition format to set up the stagger.  After that, the elections would look just like the school committee or other boards.

We urge you to vote YES for article 44 and preserve tradition and improve democracy!

Jim Zisson

Mound Road