A proposal to amend the state legislation that created the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank was roundly opposed by the land bank commissioners at their meeting this week.

West Tisbury affordable housing committee chair Jefrey DuBard has pitched a town meeting article that would require affordable housing committee appointees on each town’s land bank advisory committee.

The idea, which was sent to housing committee officials across the Island, would require a home rule petition and drew criticism from the land bank commission.

At their meeting Monday, commissioners voted to send a letter to all six Island select boards arguing against the changes out of fear it could endanger other aspects of the law.

“Any such amendment would require approval by the legislature and doing so could jeopardize the entire land bank legislation,” it reads. “Off-island legislators could be free to amend it as they wish.”

The letter calls the proposal “a solution in search of a problem,” noting that some select boards can already appoint housing committee members to the advisory boards.

In the land bank act, each town has an advisory board that must have representatives appointed by the board of health, planning board, board of assessors, parks and recreation commission, board of selectmen and water commission. Mr. DuBard's proposal would add the affordable housing committee to this list.

The advisory boards’ role, according to the legislation, is “to assist the land bank commission in administering this act.” The advisory boards must give their approval on land bank purchases in their town and vote on whether to adopt draft land management plans, as well as other actions taken by the land bank.

Mr. DuBard argued the change would ensure that “voices and perspectives that are best informed” were included on the boards.

“I’m a little shocked that that…opposition went forward so quickly,” he said at the meeting. “It’s well and good that people who have experience with housing might participate. But…you need to be declarative about these things.”

Oak Bluffs commissioner Kristen Reimann called the proposal “extreme,” and asked Mr. DuBard to go before select boards to consider appointing housing committee members, a move he said he was planning to make.

Other commissioners pointed to previous work the land bank had done on the affordable housing issue. The letter to the select boards included a list of housing achievements completed by the organization