Sending the strongest message yet on the need to cut spending in this cash-strapped town, Oak Bluffs voters soundly rejected 11 of 12 Proposition 2 1/2 override questions yesterday and elected a new selectman. Gail Barmakian, an attorney, member of the town wastewater commission and former zoning board of appeals member who campaigned on a strong platform of fiscal reform, defeated three other candidates to win the seat vacated by Kerry Scott, who did not seek reelection to a third term.

“People are tired of the way things are working, or haven’t been working. Those overrides were defeated by wide margins. I think people said loud and clear that they can’t pay more taxes — they need real change and they need it now,” Ms. Barmakian said last night.

She received 477 votes, beating out Karen Achille who finished with 398 votes, Kris Chvatal who finished with 282 and Kenneth Davey who finished with 52 votes.

Total turnout was 1,222, or 37 per cent of the 3,195 registered voters in town.

Voters rejected nearly $650,000 in 11 override questions. The only question that passed was $37,500 for the Oak Bluffs School budget.

Most of the override questions were to restore money that was cut from the budget at a special town meeting last fall. All were defeated by wide margins.

A question asking voters to restore $27,286 to the assessors salary budget failed 922-247; another to restore $96,980 to the police department failed 833-348; and one asking for $7,000 to pay the town match for a Martha’s Vineyard Drug Task Force grant failed 709-469.

Voters also rejected a $67,546 override for an increase in fire department salaries 878-303; $19,436 for an assistant shellfish warden position failed 855-312, and $10,000 for a four-stroke outboard engine for the shellfish department failed 852-313.

They rejected requests for $35,000 to lease a highway department loader, $30,000 for the town building maintenance fund, $220,000 for road maintenance and repaving, $30,743 to restore the board of health assistant and $75,000 to reinstate lifeguards at the town beaches.

The election followed a tense two-day annual town meeting which remains unfinished and will reconvene on May 4. At the two-night session this week voters questioned nearly every line item large and small, rejected a hotel rooms tax hike and eliminated stipends for most elected and appointed officials.

The override questions also appeared on the town warrant; some were approved and others rejected, but after yesterday’s ballot all are now dead except the school spending question. Last year voters at a special town meeting agreed to cut $500,000 from this year’s budget, requiring two town employees to be laid off and two others to have their hours cut in half.

No further job cuts were outlined in the 2011 budget plan totaling $24.7 million approved at town meeting this week.

Ms. Barmakian said last night the message from voters is loud and clear.

“I don’t think we can ignore the message even if we wanted to. People have their own financial problems, they have to cut their own household budget, and are asking: ‘Why should I be giving [town employees] more money — I’m not getting more money right now,” she said.

In the only other contested race, incumbents David Oliveira and Sharon Rzemien were reelected as town constables, beating out challenger George M. Warren.

Elected without contest were: David Caron, board of health (863), Steven Auerbach (748), Bill McGrath (724), Catherine Goudy (693) and Robert Blythe Jr. (567), finance committee; Richard Combra Jr., park commissioner (853); Robert Fehl, planning board (725); Lisa Anne Reagan, school committee (905); Priscilla Sylvia, land bank commission (909); Duncan Ross, water district moderator (836); Michael deBettencourt, water district commissioner (923). Mr. deBettencourt was the top vote-getter.