Bad timing for a rate hike

Updated October 4

A new $12.7 million administration building on Palmer Avenue. And, oh, by the way, with brand-new furnishings because who would want to put old desks and chairs into a new space?

A temporary terminal building in Woods Hole built for $2.6 million. That’s going to be bulldozed when the new terminal is ready, a few years down the line.

A new terminal and slip project underway for an estimated $64 million. It’s a multi-year project that’s only just begun, but already there are change orders for pilings that aren’t the correct size. (Doesn’t bode well for a trouble-free project that will stay within its budget.)

And let’s not forget the $18 million–plus for the refurbishment of the MV Martha’s Vineyard, the little ferry that could until it couldn’t, and stranded passengers out in the Sound for about six hours the night of St. Patrick’s Day.

After some trouble with public relations, general manager Robert Davis asked for a communications director — no dispute they needed that job — and now wants to add a communications and operations manager, which was also approved by the board.

So you can see why the optics of a rate increase are troubling to many Islanders and those who like to frequent the Island on a regular basis.

If the SSA was a regular business that had to answer to shareholders, the administration and board of directors might be accused of having a spending problem.

But the rate increases are troubling beyond appearances, because they would have made it more difficult and more expensive for Islanders to leave during the peak season.

To refresh, here’s how Steamship treasurer and comptroller Gerard Murphy told board members last month that he was trying to raise $7 million in additional revenue: by increasing on-season auto rates by $11.15 and excursion rates by $6 round-trip. The SSA has since dropped the idea of raising excursion rates. 

Freight will also see an increase of 12.5 percent for trucks over 20 feet, a hike that will more than likely be passed on to consumers on the Island.

Then there’s the rate increase that seems to directly target day-trippers — a $5 increase for parking in SSA lots on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. That pushes the price of parking to $20, and that’s before you purchase ferry tickets for the family. Will it be a deterrent to tourism? Probably not. If this year’s near-record number of visitors is any indication, people are willing to pay the price to come to Martha’s Vineyard.

There’s been plenty of feedback on the rate increases on social media and in comment threads for board members to digest — none of it supportive of the price jumps.

We’re hopeful the board will seriously consider whether all or any of these increases are necessary at its meeting later this month at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School — particularly those that affect Islanders who have little option but to use the Steamship Authority ferries to get on and off the Island.

We’re also hopeful the board will ask the SSA administration some tough questions, starting with what’s been done to hold the line on expenses, before looking at any price increases.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 4 pm (the SSA has an executive session scheduled for 3:30 pm, but expects to start the open session at 4 pm.) The location and time of the meeting have been changed.

The board has shown that it will listen to public pressure. That’s why the SSA is in the midst of a review by outside consultants, and it’s why the 10-ride ferry pass has returned from a brief hiatus. That pass allows families to share a ticket to ride on the ferries, rather than having multiple cards for each family member. A 50 cent embarkation fee per ride has been tacked on to meet a requirement of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

So rather than complain on Facebook, it’s time to show up again and let your voices be heard about the rate hikes.

It’s been a rough 2018 for the Steamship Authority. Sometimes it’s an easy and not always a fair target of public ridicule. But, right now, the SSA is making itself an easy target. Only its top administrators and the board can change those optics.

This editorial has been updated to clarify that the SSA has already dropped plans to increase excursion rates. It also corrects how much it will cost to park on weekends in Falmouth during the summer months. – Ed.