Chappaquiddick resident Rick Biros submitted his resignation letter from the Chappaquiddick Ferry Steering committee on Monday, citing a failure of the town’s select board to consider the committee’s recommendations and for unfairly raising ferry rates.
In the letter submitted to the Edgartown select board, Biros criticized the town for prioritizing the ferry operator’s convenience over the needs of residents, for failing to consider alternate funding options, and suggesting that the town was opening itself to litigation for not meeting its obligations to residents.
“I have invested too much time and effort to continue serving on a committee whose work is treated as window dressing,” said Biros who served on the committee since its inception in 2020. “This letter serves as my resignation from the Chappy Ferry Steering Committee, effective immediately.”
The resignation comes in response to the select board agreeing on behalf of Chappy ferry owner Peter Wells to raise rates for the ferry across the board by 12 percent, despite the opposition of the nine-member steering committee. During a rate hearing held last month, Chappy residents also pushed back against the board’s decision, questioning the financial need for a rate hike and saying it’s unfair that Chappy residents are expected to pay the increase alone, as opposed to when roads are repaved and every resident contributes whether they use the road or not.
The steering committee was created by the select board to analyze the ferry’s operations, and to advise on rates, governance, and long term sustainability. The group met ten times over the last year, with input from the Chappy ferry owner, but the board ultimately denied the committee’s recommendations for what members said would be a more transparent process for setting rates.
Town select board members declined to comment when asked at Monday’s regular select board meeting in response to Biros’ challenges. Wells has not commented either.
In his letter, Biros challenged the financial analysis that Peter Wells, owner of the Chappaquiddick ferry submitted as proof of the need for a rate hike. Biros said that Wells compared 12 months of 2023 and 12 months of 2024 to six months of 2025, excluding July, August, and September, months when Chappy ferry traffic is high.
“At a minimum, you should have required an apples-to-apples comparison of the first six months of each year,” said Biros in his letter.
Biros echoed many of the concerns raised by Chappy residents at last month’s ferry rate increase public hearing. He said the Edgartown Selectboard overlooked potential available funding options and pushed through a rate hike on the backs of residents and contractors “who already carry the burden of an unsustainable system,” pointing to a number of state grants.
Biros said by disregarding the Chappy Ferry Steering Committee’s recommendations and failing to scrutinize the data, the Edgartown Select board has “undermined the very process you created.”
“This isn’t just disrespectful to the volunteers who devoted years of work; it is a failure of governance,” said Biros in his letter to the select board.”You were asked by Chappy residents to “think differently,” instead you chose the path of least resistance — protecting the ferry owner and exposing the town to unnecessary risk.”
Despite his resignation, Biros said he will still be working independently alongside other residents and homeowners on Chappaquiddick to develop sustainable, community driven solutions for the Chappy Ferry.
I’m proud of my good friend Rick Biros for having the courage to step away and speak up. He’s dedicated years to serving on the Chappy Ferry Steering Committee, and his resignation letter lays out what many of us have been feeling: the Town asks for community input, then ignores it when it matters most.
The Chappy Ferry is not just a business — it’s a public utility, operating as a monopoly, owned by a private individual. That makes the Selectboard the only mechanism of public oversight. Their job isn’t just to approve rate hikes — it’s to ensure those increases are financially justified and that the ferry continues to meet the needs of both the community and the operator.
Blindly approving a 12% increase without a clear, apples-to-apples financial review is a failure of that responsibility.
Rick’s resignation should be a wake-up call — not just for the Selectboard, but for all of us.
It’s time we Think Differently About the Chappy Ferry.
Owning and running the Chappy ferry is a huge responsibility and you’re always on call. I don’t remember the last time I was on the ferry. But I know Mr wells. He’s a good man.
When I moved to MV I understood I would have to use the Steamship Authority for transportation, and that the Steamship is obliged to cover all the costs incurred by ticket sales and if they cannot cover costs the towns which rely on the Steamship have to use tax dollars to cover running the transport, So the people who are fortunate enough to have property and live on Chappy must deal with rate increases to cover all expenses for the ferry which includes living wages for all employees and most importantly the person that runs the entire operation. What is difficult to say you knew you were moving to a place where you have to use the the transport provided or provide your own, now is not the time to come crying to the town for rate relief through property taxes for the population who never will be able to afford to live on Chappy, we must stop subsidies for the few paid for by the many.
When I moved to Martha’s Vineyard, I accepted the realities of island life—including relying on the Steamship Authority. But unlike the Chappy Ferry, the Steamship is transparent, audited, and accountable. Its fares and operations are designed to support the entire island: residents, workers, tourists, tradespeople, students, and emergency services. That’s why towns rightly help backstop its operations.
The Chappy Ferry, by contrast, is a privately owned monopoly operating under a public license—yet it’s not subject to any independent financial review, despite years of requests. A 12% rate hike was just approved without a single financial statement disclosed. That’s not oversight—it’s blind trust.
Let’s remember: Chappaquiddick isn’t just home to a handful of property owners. It contains over 35% of Edgartown’s public beaches and draws thousands of visitors annually, including fishermen, beachgoers, and Derby participants. The ferry is critical infrastructure—supporting tourism, emergency access, tradespeople, and local small businesses.
This isn’t about subsidies “for the few.” It’s about responsible governance of a publicly licensed monopoly that serves an entire community and a vital part of Edgartown’s economy.
If we’re going to compare it to the Steamship, let’s start with the basics: transparency, accountability, and oversight.
If the Chappy people would like to use tax revenue to help subsidize the Ferry, then there should be a special Tax on all Chappaquiddick property which would be designated to go to the ferry subsidy. That way all Chappy residence will be paying their fair share and not just the ones who use it the most. Please do not move in next a church and then complain about the church bells.
Q: Cha-unhappy ?
A: Zillow.com