The Island spring political season officially kicks off on Tuesday night when voters in four towns gather to conduct business in what has been called the purest form of democracy: the New England annual town meeting.

Gavels will bang and moderators will call their meetings to order in West Tisbury, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Tisbury. This is the Vineyard’s Super Tuesday. In three of the four towns, annual elections will follow two days later (Tisbury holds its election in two weeks).

Chilmark and Aquinnah will convene for their annual town meetings in late April and early May.

Voters, sharpen your pencils: there are a number of pivotal issues on the political docket this year. Some are Islandwide while others are unique to the individual towns.

The broad theme this year is spending on the rise. In what is believed to be a first for the Vineyard, every Island town is facing some kind of override to Proposition 2 1/2, the state-mandated tax cap.

Tax rates on the Island remain relatively low thanks largely to a generous seasonal tax base with far fewer demands for services than our counterpart suburban towns on the mainland. And overrides are often critical, especially to finance major needed capital projects such as the new Tisbury School. But town finance leaders are right to raise warning flags about creeping costs, some presented as warrant articles and some baked into the town’s base budget. Voters have plenty of opportunity to review these prior to reaching the town meeting floor, and those who complain about rising taxes should take the time to really understand what is driving them. It is not always the big ticket items that need the most scrutiny.

Three major initiatives down-Island have been the focus of much attention and debate this year. All deserve voter support.

Yes to a New School in Tisbury

For the past two years the Tisbury school building committee has led a detailed public process as it logged hundreds of hours crafting a plan to replace the aging and outmoded brick elementary school with a new building. Tempting as it is to think that renovation of the existing building would be preferable, the building committee carefully considered and rejected that option as more costly and disruptive to students, and voters would be wise to back the plan it has developed. After reimbursement from the state on the estimated $46 million project, the cost to the town will be about $32 million. This project will never get any cheaper, but even more importantly it’s the smartest investment Tisbury — a town that has always prided itself on its school achievements which include consistently outstanding academic performance — could make in its future. On a side note, it was disappointing to see the selectmen take no position on the new school: don’t we elect our leaders to lead?

Yes to Fluoridation in Edgartown

The initiative by the Edgartown board of health to fluoridate the town water supply has sparked a wide range of opinions, some better informed than others. But the board of health is unquestionably acting in the public interest. The longstanding poor state of general dental health on the Island is well known and cannot be waved away with rhetoric or bad science. The truth is that many year-round residents, including children, do not receive adequate dental care because they live on tight budgets due to the high cost of living. A widespread and longstanding practice, fluoridating the water supply is the most effective and socially responsible way to combat the problem. Virtually every reputable dentist in the U.S. and the Centers for Disease Control agree. Oak Bluffs fluoridates its water, and Edgartown will be wise to follow suit. Here again, it’s disappointing to see the selectmen take no stand on this important public health initiative.

Yes to Moped Home Rule Petition in Oak Bluffs

There is little disagreement that rental mopeds operating on Island roads are dangerous and should be phased out of the summer culture altogether on the Vineyard. Attrition has been happening for years, with only a handful of rental places left: three in Oak Bluffs and one in Tisbury. But as Oak Bluffs selectmen learned last year, there are legal roadblocks when it comes to limiting or phasing out license renewals. The clearest path is for the town to petition to state legislature for permission to take steps to ban moped rentals. The petition is the first in a three-step process. If the legislature approves, the measure would return to the town for a second vote.

The home rule petition is expected to receive thunderous support — as it should.

Hear ye, hear ye, town meeting time begins Tuesday. Remember to get out and vote.