Democrats on the Vineyard, Nantucket and parts of Falmouth will head to the polls on Sept. 3 to cast their primary ballots for the region’s new state representative, choosing between Arielle Faria and Thomas Moakley.

Titled the Municipal Empowerment Act, the governor’s bill would allow towns to enact a new motor vehicle excise surcharge, raise the local hotel and home rental tax from its current limit of 6 per cent to 7 per cent, as well as increase the local option meals tax. 

At a hearing this week, Vineyarders threw their weight behind a local option transfer fee, the new seasonal community designation and other measures intended to alleviate the state’s housing affordability crisis. 

Since state Rep. Dylan Fernandes announced early this month that he will run for state Senate next year, only one candidate has made a public bid for his seat. The seat has been held by a Democrat for at least 35 years but the GOP is determined to get a candidate on the ballot.

State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat who represents the Island in the statehouse, announced Thursday he is planning to run for a seat that serves parts of Cape Cod and Plymouth County in the 2024 election.

Issues from abortion protections to the Martha’s Vineyard Housing Bank were top of mind for Islanders at a town hall forum hosted by state Rep. Dylan Fernandes at the Oak Bluffs Library last week.

New legislation introduced this week would require the Steamship Authority to add a chief operating officer to the senior ranks of management.

The legislature’s Joint Committee on Housing will convene at 11 a.m. on Tuesday to consider a variety of bills to address housing affordability.