Marblehead’s town government and public schools spent more than $3.2 million on legal services from FY18 through FY25. School legal bills reached $334,735 in FY24 and $493,704 in FY25, against a combined budget of $105,000 each year.
Municipal departments accounted for about $1.8 million, compared with $1.4 million for schools. Assistant Superintendent Mike Pfifferling attributed much of the school increase to months of Marblehead Education Association negotiations, the subsequent work stoppage and undisclosed personnel matters. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer said FY25 municipal legal spending was about $286,000 against a $219,600 budget, citing police and firefighter contract talks, personnel matters, Charter Committee work, Officer Christopher Gallo arbitration and MBTA Communities zoning efforts. Townwide costs fell to roughly $240,000 in FY21 before climbing to nearly $780,000 in FY25.
The town consolidated its legal accounts under the Select Board to make them easier to monitor and keeps a Finance Committee Reserve for unexpected costs rather than placing larger legal buffers in each department’s budget. Pfifferling said special-education legal expenses were separated for clearer state reporting and that FY24 and FY25 costs should not be considered typical.
