To the Editor:
Like most Island residents, we are deeply concerned by the recent proposal to increase fares. While the Steamship Authority argues that these increases are necessary to subsidize excursion fares, it is impossible to ignore a pattern of costly mismanagement that has placed an unnecessary burden on those who rely on the SSA most.
Consider just three major projects from recent years:
- The Woods Hole terminal building project has ballooned to more than $39 million, with an additional $9.8 million anticipated before completion.
- The three offshore supply vessels (OSVs), originally budgeted at $47.6 million, ultimately cost $87.5 million and are already requiring expensive repairs.
- The failed website project, highlighted in the inspector general’s report released last December, consumed significant resources before being abandoned. We are currently reviewing the costs associated with the replacement reservation system, and fear that the project may follow a similar pattern of overruns.
These are not isolated incidents. They represent tens of millions of dollars in overruns, poor planning, and questionable decisionmaking. While some grant funding has offset a portion of these costs, the reality is that the majority ultimately falls on the backs of SSA customers through higher fares and fees.
Why should Islanders believe things will be different this time? The Port Council, whose responsibility includes financial oversight, has consistently failed to ask the difficult questions or demand accountability when projects veer dramatically off course. Meanwhile, members of the board continue to defend decisions that have clearly failed the ferry users. Without meaningful change in the composition and culture of both the Port Council and the board, there is little reason to expect different results.
In March, the board publicly committed to conducting “hot wash” reviews to examine what went wrong with these projects and identify lessons learned. Yet months later, there has been no visible progress, no public reckoning, and no evidence that meaningful reforms are underway. The “hot wash” reviews are not scheduled.
There are reasons for cautious optimism. New general manager Alex Kryska and Martha’s Vineyard’s newest board representative, Ted Gavin, bring fresh perspectives and the potential for positive change. But real reform will require more than new faces. It will require an honest acknowledgment of the serious fiscal mistakes made in recent years, and a commitment to transparency, accountability, and better stewardship of public resources.
Islanders deserve a Steamship Authority that manages its finances as carefully as the families and businesses that depend on it every day.
Amy Cody, Margaret Hannemann, Alysha Norbury, Beth O’Connor, Nat Trumbull, steering committee
Steamship Authority Citizens’ Action Group
