RIck smith for select board
Proven Leadership to Move Marshfield Forward!
JOIN ME IN MOVING MARSHFIELD FORWARD!
I’m a Marine veteran, business leader, and proud Marshfield dad. After serving in Iraq as a combat infantry advisor in Fallujah and Mosul, I returned home with a lifelong commitment to service - now focused on my community. Professionally, I’ve built a career leading large teams and managing multimillion-dollar budgets in the energy and environmental sectors. I’ve brought that same experience in leadership, accountability, and problem-solving while I was on Marshfield’s Advisory Board, where I’ve worked to strengthen transparency and fiscal responsibility.
My wife, Jenn, and I are raising our two children in Marshfield’s public schools, and I’m dedicated to ensuring our town remains a place families are proud to call home.
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Rick on the Issues!
value for every dollar
Marshfield faces a number of financial challenges including an aging infrastructure, funding for a new vocational tech high school, pension liabilities, all while the overall cost of services is increasing. It’s my opinion that the Select Board hasn’t spent the time necessary to scrutinize the town budget and make recommendations that will allow us to continue to grow and prosper.
The town of Marshfield is a big business with a $120 million budget and 1,500 employees. As an executive, I have been responsible for solving complex problems involving hundreds of millions of dollars. I’ve worked with large departments and across multiple departments to bring people together to deliver real results. I want to do the same for our town.
serving as your voice
What are the priorities of the Select Board? What is our strategy to build a fiscal plan with strong revenue and fiscal discipline, to deal with overdevelopment, to make our community more walkable and to update our aging infrastructure?
To be effective, our board needs more than good intentions. As a member of the board, I will work to establish a clear list of priorities and make those things that are important to you a priority of the Select board. I will also make sure that before decisions are made, people from all of our neighborhoods get a chance to be heard and weigh-in.
protecting THE TOWN’S character
Growth, when properly managed and planned for is a good thing. Unfortunately, constant development has brought with it hidden costs and consequences. Marshfield shouldn’t be a place just for commuters to hang their hat. It needs to be a community of families who love living here because of who we are and what we have to offer.
As a member of the board, I’ll work to improve walkability and improve community signage that celebrates our town’s history and spirit. I’ll fight to prioritize funds to purchase land which can be preserved for open space allowing our community to breathe. I’ll also work with other town boards to ensure that we have a strategy for limited development that doesn’t overwhelm city services.
Rick on the town’s financial crisis
It didn’t have to be this way
Background
It is the responsibility of the town’s Select Board to provide active guidance and direction in the town’s $120M+ a year budget.
The major financial challenges for Marshfield have been called out by the Marshfield Advisory Board and two talented interim town administrators, for more than 9 months, with little to no pro-active action by the Select Board.
As chair of the town’s Advisory Board in March 2025, Rick called on the Select Board to create a five-year financial plan. Rick also called on the town to start the budgeting process as soon as possible to give the town maximum flexibility, opportunity for collaboration, and transparency.
Three days before Christmas, the interim town administrator produced the first five year forecast the town has had in years, which clearly showed a financial crisis that will be felt by all residents.
Where do we stand?
The five year forecast shows that for the next year there may be a $4.5M+ shortfall that may require deep cuts in town services and/or an increase in property taxes.
This deficit does NOT include anticipated employee raises subject to negotiations which, along with final state aid numbers could increase the projected deficit to $6 million.
Instead of meeting with the School Committee and working collaboratively on the financial challenges that lie ahead, the Select Board leadership has extended criticism instead of partnership.
Towns across Massachusetts are facing similar challenges with many of them already having had serious conversations and made decisions to reduce the impact on the people in their community.
Marshfield Needs Proven Leadership
and a Strategy to Deal with the Financial Crisis
Comments from Rick:
“Marshfield is facing a financial crisis that requires strong professional leadership, a real strategy, and collaboration between all the town’s partners. Unfortunately, the Select Board has taken a head-in-the-sand approach to what should have been an urgent, full-court press on its core responsibility to anticipate and prepare for the crisis. By not planning and taking early steps, the board has risked limiting the town’s options and now we must act with urgency to prevent very painful cuts.
“The Select Board shouldn’t be twiddling its thumbs allowing a difficult fiscal situation to become a crisis. The board shouldn’t be pointing the finger at the school system without ever having met with the School Committee to discuss how best to move forward.”
“We need a ‘whole of government’ approach that pulls together designated members from the Select Board, the School Committee, Board of Public Works, the town finance team and the Advisory Board. Our residents expect and deserve it.”
“This crisis can’t be solved by ignoring it or trying to blame someone else for the problems. Marshfield needs a Select Board with the experience, skills, and leadership to roll-up their sleeves long before someone comes to shut off the lights.”
