The Vineyard’s political season begins in earnest this week as four Island towns convene annual town meetings on Tuesday.

A proposed bylaw banning use of single-use plastic bags like those commonly found at grocery and retail stores and new federal flood maps will be among Islandwide issues as voters gather in West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and Edgartown.

School spending is a hot issue this year in West Tisbury, where the town finance committee is not recommending passage of the school budget. On a $17.5 million town budget, education spending is projected at $9.8 million. Spending items on the warrant include a new $857,000 highway barn at the town public safety complex in North Tisbury.

The annual town meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the West Tisbury School gymnasium; moderator Daniel Waters will preside.

A petition to allow the sale of hard liquor in restaurants is among the top warrant items in Tisbury this year, where voters will gather for special and annual town meetings. Voters will be asked to approved a $22.5 million operating budget and $825,000 for a feasibility study for a new Tisbury School building. A zoning bylaw amendment would create a special permit process for commercial projects that exceed 3,000 square feet in the B-2 business district, and an amendment to the waterways bylaw would allow the town to establish rules for nontraditional vessels wuch as floating workshops and houseboats.

The Tisbury special and annual town meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the Tisbury School gymnasium, with moderator Deborah Medders presiding.

Oak Bluffs voters will be asked to approve a $28.4 million budget Tuesday, a 4.5 per cent increase from the previous year. Spending items include $120,000 to replace three marked police cruisers and $147,900 in Community Preservation Act funding to replace lanterns on Sea View avenue with historically accurate fixtures. Voters will also be asked to consider changing town zoning laws to allow manufacturing and light manufacturing by special permit on commercially zoned property, approve a complicated land swap to restore public access to the Windemere neighborhood near the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and decide whether to purchase a mechanical beach rake for use on town beaches.

The meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the high school Performing Arts Center. Moderator Jesse (Jack) Law 3rd will preside.

A proposed expansion to the town’s historic district is among the items facing Edgartown voters this year. A $33.5 million operating budget, $500,000 for renovations to Memorial Wharf and $350,000 for town hall improvements are also on the warrant.

Edgartown annual and special town meetings begin at 7 p.m. at the Old Whaling Church, with moderator Philip J. Norton Jr. presiding.

Annual town elections will be held in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury on Thursday. There are only a handful of contests this year and no selectman's races.

Tisbury holds its annual town election in two weeks.