Chilmarkers sped through a single-article special town meeting Monday that was called to ensure the town remained out of the red at the start of the new fiscal year.
Voters passed a request from the town to transfer $200,000 in available cash to the 2025 reserve fund to balance the municipality’s books. The move was needed in order to avoid a potential deficit caused by high snow plowing costs and unanticipated legal fees.
The total is made up of $100,000 in free cash and $100,000 in an unused article from the 2020 annual town meeting. No new money was raised.
The funds will cover $62,000 in snow and ice costs, and over $117,000 in legal expenses for an active lawsuit against the town.
A Menemsha homeowner sued the Chilmark board of health for denying them a permit to construct a septic system for a proposed three-bedroom home on the waterfront property.
After reading the article before the crowd at the Chilmark Community Center, town moderator Janet Weidner asked if there were any questions.
“I have a question, why is this happening?” said Chilmark resident Caitlyn Cook, after some silence.
“We need $200,000 to balance the budget at the end of the fiscal year,” replied town administrator Tim Carroll.
Ms. Cook again asked why.
Mr. Carroll referred to a handout that was given to voters that pointed to the snow removal costs from this year’s strong winter storms and the ongoing litigation that created costs that the town could not be cover inside the current budget. The litigants in the lawsuit “ramped up their discovery in May,” according to the handout prepared by Mr. Carroll.
“The Town Accountant and I asked for this Special Town meeting because the ending balance for the fiscal year was too close to call at the beginning of June,” read the handout. “It is still too close to call.”
The vote then passed unanimously, and Ms. Weidner adjourned the meeting.
“It’s a record,” she said as Chilmarkers folded up their chairs.
This article appears in July 3, 2026.