There was no quorum for an Aquinnah special town meeting Tuesday night, delaying some $25,000 in spending requests and frustrating town leaders.

Town moderator Walter E. Delaney rescheduled the meeting for Nov. 13.

Aquinnah town meetings have been blighted by low attendance this year. Of the seven gatherings to date this year for either special or annual town meetings just three have secured and maintained a quorum for long enough to complete business.

A quorum requires 39 voters, or ten per cent of the 396 registered. Just 30 voters turned up on Tuesday night.

Selectman and board chairman Jim Newman said the town has a historical problem with quorums. He said the poor showing on Tuesday night was evidence of a lack of interest in town government.

“People just don’t care, or don’t care enough,” he said this week.

The delay suspends action on various town business matters.

“It means there are bills we can’t pay,” Mr. Newman said.

The 10 articles on Tuesday’s warrant, which totaled some $25,000 in spending requests, included: $8,500 for a new town hall furnace; $4,500 to regrade a portion of the town hall parking lot used by safety vehicles; and $4,000 to bury the power lines at the Circle.

No techniques are being considered to ensure a bigger turnout in November, Mr. Newman said.

“We sent e-mails out to everyone — there are 120 people on the list — and it’s been in the paper. Everybody knows,” he said.

He said town leaders have resorted to going outside and flagging down passers-by on State Road to make up numbers.

He said another technique is to include an article on the warrant which proposes lowering the quorum requirements. Ironically, this invariably proves a hot button issue.

“We might have to try that,” he said.

A special town meeting in August was disbanded after just over an hour and a half when a voter noted dwindling numbers and called for a count. The lack of quorum meant a final item on the warrant which would give the town permission to sell a municipally-owned lot to an abutting owner, was not considered.

Town leaders remain interested in selling the unused lot which is surrounded by privately owned lots on Sandcastle Lane. The article reappeared on Tuesday’s warrant. But the global financial and housing crises which have occurred in the intervening period may affect the sale.

“If we had passed it last time we’d be in great shape,” said Mr. Newman. “We could use the cushion and have the land back on the tax roll.” If there is a direct victim of Tuesday’s civic inaction it’s town coordinator Jeff Burgoyne. Mr. Burgoyne, who mans the town hall front desk full-time, said that the building’s furnace is on its last legs and that it will be sweater weather inside until it is repaired or replaced.

“It’s a mite chilly here,” he said.