Tisbury voters passed a hefty budgetary override and approved expansion of its select board, bringing to a close their 2026 annual town meeting just before 11 pm Wednesday after two nights.
In another late night of deliberating town warrant articles, over 115 voters returned to the Tisbury School gymnasium to cast their votes.
Article 41, the $43.8 million FY2027 operating budget, was passed after some debate by residents that included criticism of a 5 percent cut across the board to town departments proposed by Town Administrator Joseph LaCavita, and concerns about Tisbury’s share of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School renovation costs. The article also includes a $1 million Proposition 2 ½ override that will appear at town election on the May 12 ballot.
Article 28, authorizing the town to borrow $3 million for expansions of the sewer collection system in the State Road Sewer District passed with little discussion. The borrowing also requires voter approval of a Proposition 2 ½ override on the May 12 ballot.
Article 34, a citizens petition to expand the select board from three to five members passed on a standing vote, 66-51. Many residents echoed support to increase the limit, citing that it would increase communication, bring more expertise, and reduce workload on current members.
“I fullheartedly support moving to five,” said Ben Robinson, planning board member.
Even though the increase passed on the town meeting floor, Tisbury won’t actually have a 5-member Select Board until after May 2027. The Select Board’s next step is to file a home rule petition with the Massachusetts state legislature. The petition will go through a legislative process in Boston, where it must be approved by the State House of Representatives and Senate and then signed by the governor. A special election ballot question will be held in Tisbury if the petition is approved, which is expected to be in January or February of 2027. At the annual town election in May of 2027, voters will need to approve a special ballot question to officially change the Select Board to five members.
John Cahill, Select Board member, expressed caution about expanding the board to five members, describing it as “a significant structural change.” He warned that it could lead to more uncontested elections, a larger risk of creating cliques or fractures in the select board, and in a small, close-knit town like Tisbury, a three-member board is in most cases more efficient, intimate, and accountable.
Another article that had a noticeably close standing vote was article 19, which would have transferred $1 million to the General Stabilization Fund to bolster the town’s reserves for emergencies, unexpected expenses, and future budget gaps, but failed on a 56-55 standing vote.
Voters also approved article 33, a citizen petition, introduced by members of the Martha’s Vineyard Fourth Amendment Project (MV4A), including co-founder Batya Diamond, that proposed to designate Tisbury as a “Fourth Amendment Workplace Community.” The non-binding resolution was passed overwhelmingly by voters.
The MV4A Project, part of a national movement, aims to encourage businesses and organizations on Martha’s Vineyard to become “Fourth Amendment Workplaces,” to affirm their support for constitutional rights, and protect their workers from unreasonable searches and seizures. The movement was in response to heightened federal immigration enforcement in which agents were accused of breaking detainees’ rights.
Additionally, a $12 million borrowing for a new water storage tank was approved (article 25), $250,000 for municipal financial recovery services passed (article 12), and $85,000 to remove the abandoned vessel “Seeker,” failed after a motion to take no action was approved (article 8).
Voters also had significant discussion over article 14, which authorized more than $1.1 million in capital spending for a variety of town projects and equipment, including funding for software upgrades in town, building repairs, funding to repair and heat the Tisbury Emergency Services Building, funding for the Tisbury Police Station and the town hall, $320,000 toward repairs to the historic Skiff Avenue stone wall, and $100,000 to begin addressing an invasive southern pine beetle outbreak. Residents raised questions about several items, like if the removal of the pitch pine is really a solution, and if the stone wall really qualifies as historic, which Bow Van Riper, Martha’s Vineyard Museum research librarian, clarified is a historically significant and unique structure to New England from the 1890-1920 period.
A motion to take no action on the stone walls failed, and the entire article was passed as written.
Voters are now set to decide the $1 million operating budget override and the sewer debt exclusion on the May 12 ballot. The election will be held at the Tisbury Emergency Services Building and also include various candidates for voters to cast ballots for, including a contested select board race.