Tisbury selectman race tops election ballot

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A race between incumbent selectman Jeffrey Kristal and former selectman Tom Pachico provides the only contest at Tisbury’s town elections on Tuesday, April 26. An interview with the two candidates appears in today’s issue, April 21, of The Times.

The polls will be open from noon to 8 pm at the American Legion Hall opposite the Tisbury School.

Among new candidates for elected positions, Bruce Stelle seeks a seat on the board of health. Herbert Custer did not run for reelection.

Arthur D. Smith is running for one of three, three-year library trustee positions, along with incumbents Sandra Johnson-Pratt and Marilyn Wortman. Sharon Knipmeyer did not seek reelection. There is no candidate for a one-year library trustee position.

Janet Packer is running for the Tisbury School committee. She currently serves on the committee as an interim appointment through June 30 by the Tisbury selectmen to fill the unexpired term of former member Rebecca Cass, who resigned.

Moderator Deborah Medders, town clerk Marion Mudge, assessor Roy Cutrer, water commissioner David Schwab, and Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank commissioner Thomas Robinson are all incumbents running unopposed.

Planning board member L. Anthony “Tony” Peak seeks reelection to a five-year term and Jeffrey E. Thompson to a one-year term. Mr. Thompson currently serves on the board as the selectmen’s appointee to fill a slot left vacant by Peter Duart’s resignation.

The finance and advisory committee has four open seats and three candidates. Chairman Larry Gomez, Jynell Kristal, and Mary Ellen Larsen seek reelection to three-year terms.

Public works commissioners Leo DeSorcy and David Ferraguzzi are running again for two three-year terms.

The ballot also includes two Proposition 2.5 override questions. Question one asks voters to allow the town to assess $85,000 more in real estate and personal property taxes to fund anticipated collective bargaining and employment wage and contract agreements for FY12.

Question two seeks voters’ approval to assess an additional $100,000 more in real estate and personal property taxes to begin funding part of Tisbury’s cost for other post-employment benefits (OPEB), that is, retiree healthcare and not pensions, beginning July 1, 2012.