A hotly-debated proposal to build a new Tisbury school, a first step toward banning mopeds, and plenty of spending is on the agenda tonight as annual town meetings convene in four Island towns.
The Island’s super Tuesday features special and annual town meetings in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. Edgartown gathers at the Old Whaling Church and Oak Bluffs meets at the high school Performing Arts Center, while West Tisbury and Tisbury both convene at the town schools.
The Gazette will post updates from the town meetings online.
In Tisbury the town is preparing for overflow attendance and a lengthy discussion about the fate of the Tisbury School. Voters will be asked to approve a $46.6 million proposal to build a new school at the existing school site to replace the old 1929 building, which school officials say is outdated and insufficient to meet current school needs.
Critics of the proposal cite the historical significance of the building and the cost of the project as sticking points. Proponents see the project as a long-overdue investment in the town’s future.
In other business Tisbury voters will take up a $27.9 million budget, $675,000 to acquire property on West William street for a new town hall, and $400,000 to repair the steeple on the existing town hall. There are 40 articles on the annual town meeting warrant and 20 on the special town meeting warrant.
In Oak Bluffs mopeds will be among the hot topics of the night, as voters take up a proposal to send a home rule petition to the state legislature that would grant the town power to ban moped rentals. The proposal follows years of debate and a non-binding referendum last year that saw a strong turnout in favor of banning mopeds.
A $30.3 million budget and funding to restore Sunset Lake and the surrounding park and upgrade the Oak Bluffs school are on 29-article warrant, as well as new rules for parks and beach use.
In Edgartown voters will tackle a growing budget of $36.8 million and a full agenda. There are 75 articles on the annual town meeting warrant and 17 articles on the special town meeting warrant. Big spending requests include $3.7 for a package of wastewater projects and $1.2 million to rebuild the rundown World War II-era hangar at the Katama Airfield. Town moderator Philip J. Norton Jr. will preside for the last time after 43 years.
West Tisbury voters face a $400,000 budget override, the first override in 14 years, as the town tackles 56 articles on the annual town meeting warrant. An annual budget of $18.9 million is also up for approval, along with amending zoning bylaws to include recreational marijuana businesses and funding for affordable housing projects and rental assistance.
Voters in West Tisbury, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown will head to the polls for annual town elections Thursday, with contested races for selectmen in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. Tisbury’s annual town election is on April 24.
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