Island towns are busy preparing for an annual town meeting season unlike any other, putting up massive tents, paring down warrants and looking to pass historically austere budgets.
Faced with the prospect of declining revenues and tax shortfalls, Island towns are putting long-term capital projects on hold and giving up salary increases nearly across the board.
All Martha’s Vineyard towns have postponed their annual town meetings and elections this year. Rescheduled dates are tentative, town administrators said, and subject to change.
Oak Bluffs, annual town meeting May 12, annual town election May 14.
“To be or not to be” - stock or no stock - railroad or no railroad - was the principal question before the community last Saturday, and the town and its “dependencies” (?) turned out en masse to meet the emergency. Every able-bodied voter was in attendance, and the people seemed determined that the matter shouldn’t go by default.
Hon. J. T. Pease was chosen moderator.
The second article of the warrant, “To see if the town would subscribe to the stock of the Martha’s Vineyard Railroad,” &c., coming up, Mr. Samuel Osborn submitted the following resolution:
Edgartown and Oak Bluffs voters defeated the controversial housing bank question Tuesday night, while in West Tisbury the question won approval. Tisbury voters take up the question tonight.
A plastic bottle ban was swiftly approved in West Tisbury, and an emotional tribute marked the start of the annual town meeting in Tisbury Tuesday night.
Millions of dollars in spending initiatives and the fiercely-debated housing bank proposal will be on the agenda when voters in Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury take up the annual business of their towns tonight.
For the third year in a row, Tisbury voters will consider the future of their school at the annual town meeting. This year, the school committee and selectmen will ask the town to borrow $400,000 for plans and design work.
