Citing resident complaints and safety concerns, Edgartown select board members voted this week to lower the speed limit on Meetinghouse Way to 25 mph.

Meetinghouse Way is a paved two-lane road bridging Edgartown–West Tisbury Road and Slough Cove and it is a well-trafficked cut-through for those frequenting Katama and Edgartown Great Pond.

Select board member Michael Donaroma came out against the reduction in the board’s meeting on Monday, arguing that the proposed limit would be too slow, and that drivers would inevitably speed. The current speed limit is 30 mph.

“You can almost run that fast,” he said.

Mr. Donaroma also worried that the decision could beget complaints from residents in other neighborhoods, especially with no clear criteria for what warrants a reduced limit.

Chairman Arthur Smadbeck, who took over from former chair Margaret Serpa this week, supported the limit, citing a similar measure taken on Clevelandtown Road two years prior. Amidst increased development, the select board had voted to lower the road’s speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph. Edgartown police chief Bruce McNamee reported that the department has received fewer speeding complaints since the change.

The board voted 2-1 in favor of the reduced speed, effective within the next couple of weeks. Both Mr. Smadbeck and Ms. Serpa voted in favor, with Mr. Donaroma voting against.

“I’ve alwys leaned in the direction of safety,” Mr. Smadbeck said. “Every little bit helps.”

In other business, the select board entertained several town government suggestions from former board of assessors candidate James E. Joyce. Mr. Joyce had lost the election to incumbent Alan Gowell two weeks prior, but said he still wished to propose new ideas.

Mr. Joyce first proposed a reduced property tax rate for residents over 70. Although the town does have the authority to grant exemptions to individuals based on age, seasonality, or income, officials did not commit to any changes, recommending that Mr. Joyce work directly with the board of assessors to further research any proposals.

Mr. Joyce also questioned why positions on the board of assessors included a $1,100 annual stipend when other positions, such as those on the zoning or planning board, went unpaid.

Board of assessors member Donna Goodale responded that board members must take an assessment course and pass an exam mandated by the state, and in those cases the towns are required to provide a stipend. Mr. Smadbeck also said that historically, the select board and the board of assessors were one and the same, and the stipend had been created when the town decided to separate the two positions.

Town administrator James Hagerty said any changes to town payroll could be brought up via petition and potentially voted on at the next town meeting.