A sky-high budget pushing West Tisbury to request it be allowed to collect more in property taxes and fill a $3.49 million gap was top of mind for voters when they gathered to meet candidates at the local library last week.
The League of Women Voters of Martha’s Vineyard opened its first candidate forum this year at the West Tisbury library on Tuesday, April 7, and voters heard from candidates running for office in West Tisbury, like longtime Town Clerk Tara J. Whiting-Wells.
The sole contested seat on the town’s ballot this year is a select board position up for re-election, which is being pursued by incumbent Jessica Miller and political newcomer Garrison Vieira, who cemented a friendly rivalry in the race with a handshake.
Miller and Vieira have extensive personal histories in West Tisbury, and grew up in the town.
Miller returned to the Island after earning a bachelor’s degree in geology at Amherst College. She was also a member of the West Tisbury board of health. She was first elected to the board in 2022 for a one-year term after Kent Healey died in 2021. Miller highlighted several changes in the town she’s had a hand in, like the creation of a new information technology manager position, and a push for the town to adopt a residential tax exemption, which reduces the property tax burden for year-round residents. She’s also been involved with the affordable housing committee for the 401 State Road housing project.
Miller said there were still some tasks she wanted to wrap up, such as helping in the search for a new town administrator after Jennifer Rand retires. She also called for an Island-wide moratorium on developments, to figure out what direction the Vineyard community wanted to go. Miller said this will be her third and final time running for the select board.
“This is a lot of work, and I really care about what I’m doing,” Miller said. “It’s not just my time. It’s also my heart and soul that feel the toll of this service.”
Vieira currently serves as a Chilmark Police sergeant, but he served in the West Tisbury Police Department for more than 20 years. Vieira said he’s also had a longtime relationship with the Agricultural Society, where he started as a “security kid” in 1994 at the Grange Hall; he’s been involved with the society’s board for the past eight years. A part of his involvement with the Island’s agricultural community comes from his time as a beekeeper. He also highlighted other ways he’s been involved in the West Tisbury community, including serving on the town’s climate advisory committee, and being an EMT with Tri-Town Ambulance for around a decade.
Vieira said he wants to improve transparency in West Tisbury government, and work to help fill the gap in workforce housing.
He also highlighted that the town has significant projects ahead, like the HVAC system replacement at West Tisbury Police Station and the replacement of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, and wanted to be careful with budgetary increases. “I know that a lot of people in town are on set incomes,” Vieira said.
Miller and Vieira shared similar views on some topics raised during the forum, such as that the select board should be proactive in dealing with problems, and need to meet residents where they usually are to hear feedback, like at Cronig’s Up-Island Market or Conroy Apothecary. An issue that they agreed needed to be addressed but didn’t have clear answers for was the town budget.
West Tisbury is proposing to override a state limit on how much it can collect on property taxes to fill a $3.49 million gap in a $31.6 million budget. Other towns across the state are also facing similar situations. An informational board at the library highlighted how difficult it would be to reduce the budget. While there is $2.72 million that the town “can control,” according to the town, that represents only 7 percent of the budget. Meanwhile, 30 percent of the budget was categorized as “hard to change,” such as legal services and the town’s payroll. But more than half of the budget, 63 percent, is outside of the town’s control, including $19.5 million in school costs and regional expenses at the commission and county.
Miller said the town was facing “crazy” numbers, and highlighted that she wants to pursue consolidation of certain positions and services with other towns to save costs. She highlighted the town’s population growth over the years, and said that the costs of services have grown to meet demand. It’s also one of the reasons she pushed for a residential tax exemption.
“It can’t keep growing like this. It’s crushing us,” Miller said.
Vieira said the tax bill was a concern for the entire town, and ways to cut costs needed to be found. He suggested going back to department heads to see where money could be saved, a point Miller disagreed with; she cautioned against micromanagement. But he underscored that certifications have also changed over time, particularly for personnel in police and fire departments, and incur a cost for towns.
“Unfortunately we’re going to have to take money out of our wallets to meet those minimum standards,” Vieira said.
In closing remarks, both candidates underscored they deeply care for West Tisbury, and each would be a good choice for the town.
Vieira highlighted that his police experience gives him the tools to deal with tasks that come before the select board. “As a police officer, we deal with constant challenges, and have to navigate some solutions,” he said.
Miller called attention to her experience serving the town on the select board and health board. “I’m not interested in being a lifer, like some people in this room, but we’ve been in tricky waters these past three years, and we’ve got some big transitions coming,” she said.
West Tisbury will hold its town election on April 16 at the West Tisbury Public Safety Building, from 7 am to 8 pm.
It is as clear as day to me that West Tisbury does not have anyone in office who understands budgets and finance. It seems the voters in West Tisbury always elect the happiest face, or the most known candidate. You are driving out the elderly and families on budgets. Most department budgets could be reduced by 30% without any real loss. 5 school systems and 6 police stations is not a good start. Duplication of many other services is also a waste.