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The Harbors and Waters Board voted to increase several harbor fees and introduce new charges as part of an effort to address a projected revenue shortfall over the next four years.
The board approved all proposed fee adjustments at its recent meeting, with the understanding that some changes can be implemented immediately while others require town meeting approval or bylaw amendments before taking effect.
The vote included mooring permit fee increases of $2 per foot, raising Main Harbor rates from $10 to $12 per foot and West Shore rates from $9 to $11 per foot. Combined with other approved fee adjustments, the changes are expected to generate more than $140,000 in additional annual revenue.
Board Chair John Doub directed Harbormaster Mark Souza to implement fees that can be set administratively and prepare warrant articles for those requiring town meeting action. The board had been working to clarify which fees fall under each category.
Doub presented financial projections showing that if expenses — including salaries, health insurance, and maintenance — continue to grow by about 8% annually while revenues stay flat, the harbor fund would fall from $843,000 in fiscal 2024 to roughly $91,000 by fiscal 2029
“Until we know for sure, would you all be OK if we voted these items on here that look like they don’t have to go to Town Meeting so Mark can get started on that,” Doub said before the vote.
Harbors and Waters Board Chair Gary Gregory recommended voting on all proposed changes at once rather than separating them by approval process.
“We’ve done this four years ago, four years before that we did it, and each time it went up $2 which gets us about $200,000,” Doub said.
Gregory advocated for the $2 increase rather than a smaller $1 adjustment, arguing the board would face the same level of opposition regardless of the amount.
The board also approved increases for commercial fishing permits, raising rates from $4 to $6 per foot, and kayak rack storage, which will rise from $175 to $200 per season. Ring fees will increase by $50 across the board, with Tuckers ring fees moving from $300 to $350 and all other locations increasing from $200 to $250.
Several new fees were also introduced. A $15 application fee will now apply to the temporary mooring waitlist, and a $150 flat fee will be charged for new 10A float applications or changes to existing floats. The board raised the overnight dockage rate from $6.50 to $7 per foot and increased hourly dockage from $8 to $10 per hour.
One of the more significant changes involves 10A float fees, which will jump from $6.50 to $10 per foot. That increase alone is projected to generate $24,000 in additional revenue annually but requires approval through a town warrant.
The board also voted to increase the 30-minute tie-up violation fine from $20 to $50, though this change requires a bylaw amendment. Souza noted the current $20 fine has proven ineffective as a deterrent.
“My violation fee is $20,” Souza said. “I would just tie up and pay the $20.”
Board members discussed implementing an escalating fine structure for repeat offenders and potentially tying violations to mooring privileges to increase enforcement effectiveness.
Gregory explained that procedural fees can be set by the harbormaster and harbors board, while fees written into town bylaws require bylaw changes approved at town meeting.
In a separate vote, the board approved a 3.9% rent increase for Marblehead Trading Company, matching the previous year’s Consumer Price Index increase for Boston, as specified in the company’s lease agreement.
