Selectman Marcus S. Gomes talks first year on the board

Marcus S. Gomes was elected to the Select Board in the spring 2025 election and one year into the job, he said listening and learning will hopefully turn into proactive action over the next year.

The 33-year-old disc golf enthusiast and full time cook at Warren’s Harborview previously served on the Cultural Council for two years before running for Select Board. 

“It’s been a learning experience so far and I’ve been a little quiet but I’ve been seeing how everything goes,” Gomes said. “The Cultural Council wasn’t as demanding but there’s a lot more to learn and I love being a part of it.”

Gomes said much of his first year has been spent listening to residents and their concerns while learning the ins-and-outs of how a town is run from his colleagues.

“I’ve definitely learned patience because we can’t fix everything or change everything that the residents want but that’s part of the job—learning what you can and cannot do and finding ways to attack some of the issues,” he said.

Over the next 12 months Gomes said he plans to take what he has learned and turn it into action, something he said he has not done well given his full-time job as a cook.

“I kind of feel ashamed because Joey Still, Judith Whiteside, Sarah Corbitt— they’re always at events and I can’t be there and I want to make sure I can show my face a little more,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been too quiet this last year.”

During his campaign, promoting outdoor recreation of all kinds was one of Gomes’ personal priorities. While strides have been made with the Lopes Park and Bayview Park projects, he wants to continue promoting similar initiatives.

“There should be more recreation—it’ll make the town more attractive,” he said.

But having a “great looking town” doesn’t allow Gomes to dive into another area he prioritized in his campaign—the schools. 

As a 2011 Wareham High School graduate, Gomes said one of his top priorities is going to be working with the School Committee to try and find ways to help fund the schools and look into the declining high school class sizes. 

Specifically, he wants to ensure better pay for teachers and get an idea of what the students feel about the schools.

“I’d like to sit down with the [School Committee] and formulate how we can make the schools extensively better,” he said. 

By working toward these initiatives, Gomes said he hopes to be an example for younger Wareham residents and inspire them to get involved.

So far, Gomes has already run into one former classmate, Jordan Gomes, who joined the Cultural Council.

“I want to be the opening for people around my age and a little younger to say ‘I know Marcus and I can be involved in town too,’” he said.