A snapshot of county government

By Dan Cabot - September 22, 2005

• More than 16 percent of the Dukes County operating budget, $750,762, comes from an annual assessment paid by the towns that make up Dukes County, including the six Island towns and Gosnold. The assessment does not appear as a line item on annual town meeting warrants.
  
  
• For fiscal year 2006, Island taxpayers will pay the following county assessments: Aquinnah, $28,588; Chilmark $138,981; Edgartown, $235,740; Oak Bluffs, $111,713; Tisbury, $113,032; West Tisbury, $113,472; and Gosnold, $9,236.
  
  
• Despite the abolition of all but six counties across the commonwealth, Dukes County government managed to survive under a specially written charter adopted by voters in 1992. The charter gives the seven-member board of unpaid commissioners general legislative powers and gives the county manager full control over the county administration.
  
  
• Of the county's $4.45 million 2006 operating budget, approximately 78 percent funds departments not under the direct control of the county manager. The Registry of Deeds, Sheriff's office and office of the county treasurer, are headed by elected officials who operate for the most part independently. The county owned Martha's Vineyard Airport by statute is under the control of the county-appointed airport commission. State and federal grant assurances signed by the county and airport commissioner prohibit the county manager from exercising authority over the airport, and airport revenue may not be diverted to non-airport county uses.
  
  
• The county manager, who is due to be paid an annual salary of $74,600 in fiscal year 2006, exercises direct supervisory control over approximately six county employees, including an administrative assistant, and directly oversees the rodent control department; the recreation department, which includes Norton Point Beach, the health and environment department, the county engineer, and the veterans agent.