Edgartown fell short of a quorum by about 30 voters last night, missing the chance to pay its share of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission budget with available money from 2009.

The town had planned to pay using money from available funds for 2009. Doing so would have avoided putting the town over the levy limit for the coming year.

Now the town is faced with financial uncertainty and has yet to secure voter permission to make the mandatory annual payment to the commission.

And there may be added pressure from state funding cuts coming down the pike that are affecting all Island towns.

Though payment of the commission budget is mandatory, it is still up for a vote in Edgartown, since it was included as a question on the spring election ballot as a protest by the town finance committee and selectmen.

The move was a reaction to perceived excesses within the commission budget and an uncooperative approach to town budgeting by its managers.

Traditionally the town pays one half in June and makes a second payment early the following year. The town will now look to revert to an earlier payment plan worked out with the commission with a single payment in the late fall.

Last night selectman Michael Donaroma said the town hopes to deal with the payment at a special town meeting in the fall.

“Technically we do owe the money and we’re hoping that interest and penalties would not be applied,” he said.

Town administrator Pamela Dolby said the method of payment will depend on final numbers in the state cuts. For now she said it was a case of wait and see.

Also on the warrant was a request to begin negotiations with the school superintendent’s office to lease space in the old Edgartown school.

Mr. Donoroma said the article was a non-essential gesture.

“We didn’t need a vote,” he said.

The town will also have to wait to deal with several housekeeping items on the warrant, including $70,000 in windfall money from a national class action lawsuit that included the Edgartown water company.