Tisbury is on its way to having a three-member select board once again, with two candidates vying in the May 12 election for a three-year term on the board.
Connie Alexander and Greg Martino are campaigning for the seat formerly held by Christina Colarusso, who stopped attending select board meetings last fall and resigned in January.
The Gazette emailed identical questionnaires to both candidates this week. Their answers, lightly edited for clarity and length, are here.
The annual town election will be held Tuesday, May 12 at the emergency services facility on Spring street. Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m.
Constance (Connie) Alexander
Occupation: Former Tisbury School science teacher for 22 years
Current and previous board service and relevant roles:
Tisbury sewer advisory board, community preservation committee, zoning bylaw review committee (chair); Tisbury Waterways, Inc. board; Tisbury planning board (former chair); Tisbury school building committee; Tisbury school advisory committee; Big Brothers Big Sisters advisory board chair (13 years)
Why are you running for select board?
I have been a resident of Tisbury for over 40 years. During that time, I have fallen in love with this town and its people. I would like the opportunity to bring my comprehensive skill set forward to build a more resilient and productive community. My experience involves both the business world and the field of education. I will foster a duality of purpose which recognizes both governance and quality of life.
What are the most critical issues facing the town of Tisbury?
Tisbury sits at the gateway to the Island and as such has unique complex circumstances. We have the smallest land mass of any town on the Vineyard and our tax rate is the highest. We have the lowest per capita income of any town on the Vineyard. We are facing large spending projects such as the high school building project. Our employee turnover has produced gaps in process and service. It is not only about raising revenue. We must focus on possibility, people and place to truly find solutions.
How should the town address these issues?
1. Strengthen financial policies and procedures. By supporting our finance department staff with appropriate measures to reach the goals outlined in the Collins Report we can move towards sound financial accountability and planning. We also need to properly prepare for expansion of the wastewater system to include the B2 district by implementing reasonable policies and procedures. This sewer district expansion, voted on and funded at previous town meetings, is in response to DEP expectations to reduce daily nitrogen load to Lake Tashmoo.
2. Focus on capital planning. Resume the work of the capital planning committee to work with the town administrator to produce scope and sequence for sound long-term capital financial planning using data-driven analysis.
3. Cultivate diverse and creative housing opportunities. Work with the Tisbury affordable housing committee and other housing advocacy organizations to cultivate diverse attainable housing options. Use the newly published Draft Housing Production Plan and the Tisbury Master Plan as guidelines.
4. Explore opportunities for collaboration. Without a central town hall our departments, committees, boards and staff have experienced significant siloing. The lack of collaborative opportunity has resulted in serious holes in communication and availability. Research has shown that improving opportunities to come together, small and large, raises morale and production. We must not let our geographic separation reduce relationship and purpose. Encouraging regularly scheduled open office hours can also improve customer service and allow residents, business owners and interested parties to meet with town officials. We must open more channels for communication.
Why should Tisbury voters choose you over your opponent for the select board seat?
I would sincerely appreciate your vote on election day and here’s why: I will follow a philosophy of possibility, people and place. Dr. Catherine Hall, a leader in education, proposes a three-prong approach to drive successful progress of any kind. Possibility focuses on relationship before task, a shared purpose beyond yourself, embracing teamwork and never worrying alone. To justly focus on people, we need to keep conversations of affordability and growth on the table at every opportunity and develop avenues for personal and professional growth for municipal employees, residents, business owners and interested parties. Tisbury is our place. Strategic visioning and forging places for connection will build strong community resilience. Remembering that what is visible often portrays what we care about, so let’s visibly turn Tisbury towards a future stronger than ever.
John (Greg) Martino
Occupation: Owner of Cottage City Oysters and A2D Productions, a regional events solution company.
Current or previous town board service or other relevant roles:
Martha’s Vineyard Commission, one year as vice chair, Martha’s Vineyard Commission finance committee, Tisbury natural resources committee, Tisbury zoning board of appeals. Past treasurer of Island Grown Initiative and the Martha’s Vineyard Farm Bureau. Volunteer Tisbury firefighters, emergency medical technician, a licensed U.S. Coast Guard 50-ton Captain, and hold an unrestricted contractor supervisor license.
Why are you running for select board?
My children, Elena (5) and Alex (4), inspire me to fight for the current and future generations so that they can afford to live and be a part of what makes Martha’s Vineyard and Vineyard Haven one of a kind. It is my belief that if you feel that you can help and make change then you are obligated to do so, and that is what I hope to do for a community that has given my family and I so much. I am proud to call the year-round port of Martha’s Vineyard my home, and I am excited to get started on working to modernize and revitalize our beautiful town.
What are the most critical issues facing the town of Tisbury?
It is no secret that Tisbury is at a financial inflection point right now. Spending is getting out of control. We have an affordability crisis, and as a father of two young kids, it is worrying. Will our children be able to afford to live in this special community where they were born? And if so, will they be able to afford the rising property taxes and the high costs of living? It is the same question for fixed-income seniors, too. We are chasing people and businesses out of Tisbury with our “no-first” mentality and our ever-increasing debt load. While some businesses have boomed in the last few years with key policy changes, we still have vacant buildings along Main street. We have a run down Stop & Shop. Vineyard Haven is the year-round face of Martha’s Vineyard, yet people choose to pass through rather than stay.
How should the town address these issues?
We need to start treating the Town like a $42 million dollar business, and not just a municipality. We need younger people getting involved. We need new ideas for revenue streams and increase the ones that we already have to not solely depend on property taxes for funding, and we need to start from the ground up to rebuild our financial processes and systems in town so that we can make more informed decisions on smart growth based on data — something Tisbury does not currently do or have.
Why should Tisbury voters choose you over your opponent for the select board seat?
At this critical time, Tisbury needs to be resourceful, calculated and innovative. We need strong leadership to usher in new ideas. As an entrepreneur, I hope to bring this balanced business mentality and energy to the select board.
This article appears in May 8, 2026.