When West Tisbury voters head to the polls on April 16, they will have their say on a select board seat and the future of the town.
Incumbent Jessica Miller is facing off challenger Garrison Vieira. Ms. Miller, a teaching assistant, and Mr. Vieira, a police officer, have both highlighted budget concerns in the lead-up to the election, and said they want to preserve the town’s rural character. The two candidates responded to questions emailed to them by the Gazette. Their answers, lightly edited for style and length, appear below.
The annual town election will be held at the West Tisbury public safety building on State Road. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Jessica Miller
Occupation:
Classroom teaching assistant at the Chilmark School.
Current or previous town board service and other relevant roles:
Current member of the select board and the affordable housing committee. Previously served on board of health, and was a group facilitator in the town visioning process.
What are the three most critical issues in West Tisbury?
A few of the most critical issues in town are budget increases, professional staff turnover and preservation of community.
What specific efforts would you make to address those issues if elected?
As far as our costs go, I think we need to be more proactive in planning for the future. For many years, the practice has been to keep budgets very lean and maintain the status quo. As the town has grown, budget adjustments have not kept up with the demands of our rapidly increasing population. That mindset has finally caught up with us, leaving this year’s increases feeling intimidating. Going forward, I would encourage department heads and the finance committee to work together to forecast and plan for slow but steady increases as needed. I also would like to see us consider pooling our resources with other towns to centralize and streamline some of the needed services in areas where doing so could result in cost savings. In particular, I think we should consider regional emergency management as well as look into providing Islandwide services for our rapidly growing senior population.
In my relatively short time in town government, we have seen a significant amount of turnover in our town staff. Each transition has given us an opportunity to really consider the job descriptions of professional town positions, making adjustments where needed to account for the changes the town has experienced over the last decade or two. Filling these positions with highly qualified and capable hires is imperative as we take our next best steps as a town.
Being from a long standing West Tisbury family, preservation of community and quality of life for my community is paramount. Cost of living increases and population growth along with everything that comes with that growth are really taking a toll. People are leaving or considering leaving, either because they can no longer afford to be here or because they feel that things are just too busy and crowded and they can’t get the services they need. We cannot go back in time, but we can try to put things in place to preserve what we have left. I will continue to advocate for tax relief for year-round residents. I would also like to work toward limiting further development Islandwide. We cannot continue down the path we are on without considering the downstream effects on the people and the land itself.
What differentiates you from your opponent?
With the experience I have from serving for the past four years, I have the understanding, relationships and knowledge to help the town continue to navigate our current situation as well as take steps to set us up for the future.
Garrison Vieira
Occupation:
Police sergeant for the town of Chilmark.
Current or previous town board service and other relevant roles:
West Tisbury police officer from 2002 to 2017, ending as a sergeant. Climate advisory board member, and eight-year board member with Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, member of fair committee.
What are the three most critical issues in West Tisbury?
The budget is always a topic that should be a concern for any board leadership or department head. We have major anticipated expenses that are going to affect the town such as the new high school and replacing the police department’s HVAC system. The town entrusts its elected officials to manage the finances for the town in order to appropriately represent the needs of the citizens while keeping taxes down and budgeting responsibly.
Housing. While on the MVAS Board, there were ongoing discussions regarding supporting housing for farm workers. Additionally, I have concerns about workforce housing as it relates to our emergency services departments. These employees often earn too much money to be eligible for affordable housing, but not nearly enough to purchase a home to live in our community.
In 2006 I applied for an affordable housing lot on Lottie’s Lane and was originally denied due to my income. I appealed as my salary met the qualification and was entered in for that year only. This situation is not unique to me as I know of another Island first responder who is struggling to meet the affordable housing standards as his salary meets the standard but he works extra, like I did and many other people do, to survive the rising housing costs and was told he still would not qualify. This is not supporting the missing middle.
Character of West Tisbury. Decisions made as a select board member directly relate to the character of the town. There needs to be balance between the population increase, the increased needs related to the population, safety, and keeping West Tisbury the rural, agricultural town that we love. Character related to bartering or just helping your neighbor has depleted with the increased population. I am proud of our community when we take care of each other. The fire at Flat Point Farm was a prime example when farmers from West Tisbury and the Island came to help donate food and other supplies. Other community members found other ways to help the Farm to rebuild. This isn’t unique but it has become rarer.
Employees. Further complicated by the housing problem, it is difficult to attract and retain quality employees. The town has many quality employees working within the town and I believe it is important to support them by having an open line of communication where they feel free to express their concerns.
What specific efforts would you make to address those issues if elected?
Budgeting opportunities. I don’t want to micromanage the day-to-day operations of the departments, but I would like to collaborate with department heads to strategize a plan for long-term search for acquiring grants and other opportunities. I would support a level-funded budget while allowing for growth and long-term financial health.
Upcoming major projects will substantially affect our tax rate. That’s why all [our] departments should seek alternate funding solutions to offset those costs.
What differentiates you from your opponent?
I believe that being new to the board offers a beneficial viewpoint as I will bring a new perspective from an informed background. After having been an employee of the town for approximately 20 years, I was able to create strong working relationships with many other town employees which offer me the ability to understand concerns from their perspective, therefore allowing me to understand their needs as well as the town’s.
This article appears in April 10, 2026.