Marlborough council seeks special legislation to fill Ward 7 seat by appointment

MARLBOROUGH — April 28, 2025 — Marlborough council votes 9-0 to pursue home rule petition filling Ward 7 by appointment, not special election. City Solicitor Jason Grossfield will draft legislation waiving Chapter 43, Section 59A so the council can immediately seat the winner of November's regular municipal election in the unexpired Ward 7 term. The Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee, citing the "confusion that the two would present to voters" running concurrent special and regular elections, voted 3-0 to recommend the approach after research from City Clerk Steven Kerrigan documented prior vacancies in 1995 and 2003. The council also unanimously amended a special permit at 339 Boston Post Road East, swapping required radar speed signs for rectangular rapid flashing beacons on Route 20 crosswalks and adding a $25,000 payment to the McGee Farm mitigation account. Separately, councilors referred a $4.19 million health care trust deficit transfer, a $4.35 million capital transfer and a $15.55 million FY26 DPW bond request to Finance.