Marion Town Meeting approves $2.7 million in road and sidewalk funding

MARION — After reaching a two-thirds majority vote, Marion Town Meeting approved the appropriation of $2.7 million that will fund sidewalk, road and way repairs on Monday, May 12.

With Town Meeting approval confirmed, the proposal will now appear on Marion election ballots on Friday, May 16 where voters will decide whether the town will move forward with the project.

If approved, the funding will come from $500,000 in free cash and $2.2 million in borrowed funds. This would prompt a proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion which would temporarily raise taxes in Marion above the standard 2.5% levy during the duration of the project.

Decisions upon which streets and sidewalks will be repaired and the timeline of construction will be determined if the proposal is approved following the election.

George “TJ” Walker, a member of the Board of Assessors, created the citizen petition that advocated for sidewalk and road repairs as a “first priority for public safety.”

“We’ve got a lot of folks in town who rely on sidewalks. We’ve got an aging population,” said Walker at Town Meeting.

He expressed disappointment in the town’s lack of actions toward significant road and sidewalk repairs in the past decade, stating that “we can do better.”

“The town has had five different reports going back to 2013 that talk about the current conditions, conditions previously and nothing has changed,” said Walker.

Resident Jeanne Bruen voiced her concerns about the state of sidewalks in Marion, stating that it’s an issue she sees affecting residents all over town.

“You see mothers with baby carriages. They’re in the street. They can’t even be on the sidewalk,” she said.

The Finance Committee could not provide an official endorsement or objection to the citizen petition when asked, stating that they were only prepared to comment on civic projects brought forth by the town rather than citizen petitions.

“This is just another case of additional cost. $2.7 million that you’ll have to decide whether or not you think it’s appropriate,” said Shay Assad, Chair of the Finance Committee.

Former Planning Board member William Washburn stated that the town should have more consideration when planning infrastructure.

“Maybe it’s time for our planning board to start to think that when we build something, we should probably have sidewalks included,” he said.

Walker emphasized that he created the citizen petition to give a voice to residents in town financial decisions.

“This should be open. It should give you both the opportunity to voice your opinion and vote accordingly,” he said.