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Magicians on the road to Foxboro
Local couple brings ‘Lost’ love to Warwick
Embracing JOMO
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November 6, 2024
| VOLUME 2, ISSUE NO. 49
| MARBLEHEADCURRENT.ORG
| ON SOCIAL @MHDCURRENT
ELECTION 2024 Visit MarbleheadCurrent.org for complete coverage of the Nov. 5 election, including local results and reaction.
ZONING CONTROVERSY
Housing Coalition launches MBTA pledge drive Group responds to conflict of interest charges BY WILL DOWD Armed with blue pledge cards declaring “I will support the MBTA Communities Act,” the Marblehead Housing Coalition launched a signature campaign Monday night at Abbot Public Library, seeking to build momentum for multifamily zoning.
“We are trying to get support so that whenever the next instance is, at the ballot box or town meeting, we can have 1,000 people or more pledged to support efforts to rezone areas of Marblehead,” said Pierce Law, a coalition member and Marblehead resident.
Conflict of interest?
Some opponents of the 3A zoning law have raised conflictof-interest concerns involving Housing Coalition members.
»A Q&A with Sen. Brendan Crighton, who represents Marblehead and helped write the MBTA Communities Act, on Page 7. On social media, critics point to the fact that coalition founder, Trevor Moore, is the son of local developer Ted Moore and is a project manager at his father’s company. Ted Moore owns three properties in one of the proposed 3A multifamily housing districts, on Tioga Way.
Ted Moore also bought land at 935 Haverhill St. in Rowley, located in a proposed 3A district, but Rowley Town Manager Curt Baker told the Current that Town Meeting voters rejected that proposal earlier in the year. Trevor Moore denied that he has any financial motivations for supporting 3A. “I think everyone in Marblehead will benefit from the passage of 3A. Will I benefit personally, financially, more than others? I honestly don’t know.
POLITICS
HOUSING, P. A13
BILLING BLUNDER
‘Whoever has the most money wins’ Resident promotes amendment to limit political fundraising BY LEIGH BLANDER The totals haven’t been tallied yet, but the 2024 presidential election was expected to be the costliest ever, with at least $15.9 billion in spending, according to political finance data site, Open Secrets. Outside groups, largely political action committees, have spent roughly $2.6 billion on 2024 federal elections, outpacing spending in any previous cycle. “If you watch our elections and the amount of money that’s been going into them, it just keeps going up and up,” said Leila Blodgett of Marblehead. “What was our democracy and ‘everybody’s voice counts’ doesn’t exist anymore. Whoever has the most money wins.” Blodgett is fed up watching billions of dollars pour into America’s political system. She joined the board of directors at American Promise, a nonprofit that is promoting the For Our Freedom Constitutional amendment to allow “reasonable limits on political spending, ensuring every American voice counts.” Blodgett says Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United, have opened the floodgates to “the development of super PACs and foreign money and dark money” that influence elections. Just 1% of donors contributed 93% of super PAC donations in recent election cycles, according to American Promise, “Imagine if this keeps escalating,”
Inflated tax bills hit Historic District Overcharges to be credited later, officials say BY WILL DOWD
COURTESY PHOTO
Marblehead resident Leila Blodgett is on the board of directors at American Promise (below), which is promoting a Constitutional amendment to allow limits on campaign donations.
PROMISE, P. A2
About 700 property owners in Marblehead’s Historic District received incorrect tax bills due to miscalculations linked to a data entry error, an issue the Board of Assessors has discussed at recent public meetings. The miscalculation became apparent when Historic District residents received inflated first- and second-quarter tax bills for fiscal year 2025. According to emails between town officials and a resident, the assessor’s office was in transition when these bills were generated, with the assistant assessor position vacant. “It all comes out in the wash when considered over all four quarters,” said John Kelley, chair of the Board of Assessors. “If you pay more in the first two quarters, you would pay less for the last two quarters.” Officials spoke to the issue in emails when local attorney Patricia Lausier questioned her tax assessment for 147 Washington St. Despite her property’s $2,127,600 valuation calling for quarterly payments of $4,765.82 at the town’s tax rate of $8.96, she received a bill for $6,256.54 per quarter. The Current asked Board of Assessors Chair John Kelley the total amount of overcharges, and did not immediately receive a response. “These preliminary tax bills are committed TAXES, P. A7
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Maybe, possibly, eventually, at some distant point in the future, if enough constellations align. I can tell you that I’m not making any plans based on that possibility,” Moore said. He continued: “I’m involved because I believe the passage of 3A zoning will be beneficial to the town. At the very least — even if zero housing units get built, which is not my desired outcome — it will make us eligible for