Oak Bluffs will soon be able to tap into a new funding source to help pay for wastewater projects after voting this week to become the first Island town to opt into the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund.

A town meeting debate is shaping up for April 28 in Tisbury, after the select board voted Friday in favor of a warrant article seeking to abolish the 75-night annual limit on short-term rentals.

Tisbury select board chair Roy Cutrer said Tuesday he is developing a town meeting warrant article that would add a 3 per cent additional tax on short-term rentals.

Town meeting-floor modifications to the warrant led to a compromise solution, with a seven-member committee to be appointed by town moderator Janet Wiedner.

Tax revenue from short-term rentals and hotel stays on the Vineyard reached an all-time high last year, and the first quarter of 2024 is already off to a sizzling start.

As the short-term rental business continues to boom, planners and housing advocates are weighing everything to address the industry's impact.

The number of homes on Martha’s Vineyard registered as short-term rental properties shot up by 35 per cent over the summer, with industry professionals pointing to the real estate market in explaining the increase.

More than 2,650 properties on Martha's Vineyard have registered as short-term rentals since the state expanded its tax levy on lodging almost three years ago.

Early returns are in for the Island’s first short-term rental tax, and while they show a marked increase, they haven’t quite matched up with lofty predictions.