In the most heavily debated item of the evening, Marshfield voters signaled a desire to fundamentally change the town's executive structure by approving a petition to expand the Select Board from three to five members. The article passed by a significant margin following a standing vote of 483 to 78.

Citizen petitioner Brian Fleming argued that Marshfield, as the largest community in the area with over 25,000 residents, has outgrown a three-member board. He specifically targeted the constraints of the Open Meeting Law, which prevents a quorum of a three-member board from communicating outside of public meetings. Expecting three people part-time to provide oversight to more than 30 committees is a recipe for burnout, Fleming said. With a five-member board, one-on-one communication is legal again.

While Select Board Chair Kelly Peterson spoke against the expansion, arguing that the focus should remain on state-level Open Meeting Law reform and professional staff, many residents disagreed. Former Charter Review Committee member Don Gibson noted that 61% of residents supported the change in a 2017-2018 survey. Town Counsel Robert Galvin clarified that if the state legislature approves the home rule petition, a majority vote of the current board would be required to trigger an override ballot in the future, rather than a supermajority. Town Moderator Jim Fitzgerald noted that while Town Meeting has spoken, it cannot technically compel the Select Board to forward the petition if they do not vote to do so.

Motion: To authorize submission of special legislation to transition to a five-member Select Board.

Vote: Passed 483-78