How the Marshfield Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide. Patricia F. Simpson joined the board after the 2025 town election; Lynne E. Fidler left. On May 5, 2025, after several nominations got no second, the board chose Eric S. Kelley as Chair (unanimous), Stephen R. Darcy as Vice Chair (2-0, Patricia F. Simpson abstaining) and Patricia F. Simpson as Clerk. On June 30, 2025 the board voted 2-1 to keep these officers (Stephen R. Darcy voting no). Patricia F. Simpson left the board in March 2026 (her last meeting was March 23, 2026; on March 30 the board discussed a special election to fill her seat), so the board had two members for the rest of this term. Covers 34 meetings, May 5 to April 27, 2026.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
In Marshfield, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Special Town Meeting · April 28, 2025 31 votes: 29 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 indefinitely postponed
Art. 20Petition: bar excavation, filling, tree cutting and similar work in the Dredge Spoils Area on Joseph Driebeck Way, with listed exceptionsPassed“This Article passed by a declared majority vote.”
Not here yet: the June 24, 2024 Special Town Meeting (not in the 2024 Annual Town Report; only its warrant is posted), the October 20, 2025 Special Town Meeting (not in the 2025 Annual Town Report; only its warrant is posted) and the April 27, 2026 Annual and Special Town Meetings (minutes not posted yet).
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board minutes from January 3, 2018 through August 19, 2026, as posted on the town website (the board was called the Board of Selectmen until 2021). Not here yet: minutes before 2018, and minutes the town has not posted. The town lists agendas but no minutes for 13 Select Board meetings between July 5, 2025 and July 5, 2026, and for every meeting after August 19, 2026. Seven short minutes that cover only a vote to go into executive session are not included. Marshfield's minutes give each motion with who made and seconded it. When they say "The vote was unanimous" we show every member present as voting yes, and when they list a roll call (aye/nay by name), as most votes from 2020 on do, we show each member's vote as recorded; "present" in a roll call is shown as abstaining. When they give only a count that does not account for every member present (for example 2-1 with no names, or 2-0 with three members present), or a roll call that names a member the minutes list as absent or does not match the stated count, we show the count only and add a note. Members who stepped aside (recused) are left out of that vote. Votes taken jointly with another board (Board of Public Works, Housing Authority, Trustees of Veterans Memorials) are not included. A few 2026 minutes record a vote without the wording of the motion; those show the agenda item instead. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Mar 16Special Town Meeting Article 1 (Unpaid Bills) to the…Motion: to move Special Town Meeting Article 1 (Unpaid Bills) to the…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Special Town Meeting Article 1 (Unpaid Bills) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Special Town Meeting Article 1 (Unpaid Bills) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Special Town Meeting Article 4 (Compensated Absence Fund) to…Motion: to move Special Town Meeting Article 4 (Compensated Absence Fund) to…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Special Town Meeting Article 4 (Compensated Absence Fund) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Special Town Meeting Article 4 (Compensated Absence Fund) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 1 to the warrantMotion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 1 to the warrantPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 1 to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 1 to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 2 to the warrantMotion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 2 to the warrantPassed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 2 to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 2 to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Articles 8–12 (Revolving Funds) to the…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Articles 8–12 (Revolving Funds) to the…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Articles 8–12 (Revolving Funds) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Articles 8–12 (Revolving Funds) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 14 (Chapter 90) to the…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 14 (Chapter 90) to the…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 14 (Chapter 90) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 14 (Chapter 90) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
From the minutes
“Article 14 – Chapter 90: Mr. Sumner is still looking into whether this item is necessary to be included on the warrant or redundant. Approved unanimously..”
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 15 (PEG Access) to the…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 15 (PEG Access) to the…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 15 (PEG Access) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 15 (PEG Access) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 16 (Community Preservation Act Funding)…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 16 (Community Preservation Act Funding)…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 16 (Community Preservation Act Funding) to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 16 (Community Preservation Act Funding) to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
From the minutes
“Article 16 – Community Preservation Act Funding: Approved unanimously..”
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects),…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects),…Passed Unanimous, 3 present · see note
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects), items 1–7, 9 and 10, to the warrant
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 3 present
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects), items 1–7, 9 and 10, to the warrant
The minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted." The minutes say "Approved unanimously" (or "approved unanimously"), so every member present is shown as voting yes.
From the minutes
“Article 17: Community Preservation Act Projects: Items 1–7, 9, and 10 approved unanimously;.”
Mar 16Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects),…Motion: to move Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects),…Passed 2–1 · No: Kelley
March 16, 2026: Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects), item 8, to the warrant
ApprovePassed · 2–1
To move Annual Town Meeting Article 17 (Community Preservation Act Projects), item 8, to the warrant
Yes: Darcy, SimpsonNo: KelleyThe minutes list the warrant votes in a short list; they say "the general motion was to move the article forward to the official Town Meeting Warrant unless otherwise noted."
From the minutes
“Item 8 approved by a vote of 2–1 (Mr. Kelley opposed; Mr. Darcy and Ms. Simpson in favor)..”
From the Marshfield Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the Select Board members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos of current members: stills from WATD News candidate videos (Chris Rohland and Rick Smith, 2026) and Marshfield Community Media’s “Meet the Candidates” (Eric Kelley). Former members show initials.