MassVoter.com← AquinnahMunicipal votes · 2024–2025 Board
Aquinnah Select Board
How the Aquinnah Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 3 Select Board members elected townwide. Gary Haley became Chair and Julianne Vanderhoop Vice Chair at the May 21, 2024 reorganization. Covers 16 meetings, May 21 to April 14, 2025.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the Select Board do? It is the town’s executive board. It prepares the Town Meeting warrant (the list of articles voters decide), appoints members of many town boards, hires the town’s top staff, signs warrants to pay town bills, and grants licenses and permits.
Town Meeting, not the Select Board, votes the town budget and town bylaws.
Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budgetYour Aquinnah ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.
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Coming up
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What Town Meeting decided
In Aquinnah, Town Meeting — not the Select Board — votes the town budget, bylaws and zoning. Here is what it did with each article, in the Town Clerk’s own words. Any registered voter can take part, and most votes are by voice or show of hands, so there is no list of who voted which way.
Annual Town Meeting · May 14, 2024 18 votes: 17 passed, 1 passed as amended
- Art. 3 Raise and appropriate the FY2025 operating budget and set salaries of elected officers and employees Passed “PASS: YES · TOTAL 66 – 57 YES, 6 NO, 3 ABSTENTIONS”
- Art. 4 Rescind earlier votes on Parcel 59 (Map 5) and declare it available for disposal; direct Select Board to dispose of the land Passed “PASS: YES · TOTAL 69 – 49 YES, 17 NO, 3 ABSTENTIONS”
- Art. 5 Exempt town land at Map 6, Parcels 25.1 and 25.2 from town zoning (amended to refer to Planning Board, non-binding) Passed as amended “PASS: YES · TOTAL 71 – 60 YES, 9 NO, 2 ABSTENTIONS”
- Art. 6 Take $5,500 from available funds to pay unpaid contract obligations to Atlantic Construction Passed “PASS: YES · Total 69 – 62 YES, 6 NO, 1 ABSTENTION”
- Art. 7 Take $250,000 from available funds for repairs to town hall, fire station and Aquinnah Circle comfort station Passed “PASS: YES · Total 70 – 66 YES, 3 NO, 1 ABSTENTION”
- Art. 8 Appropriate $39,411.27 in FY2025 Chapter 90 state aid for highway work Passed “PASS: YES · Total 65 – 64 Yes, 0 No, 1 Abstention”
- Art. 9 Authorize cancelling outstanding taxes on land owned by the Gay Head Baptist Church Passed “PASS: YES · Total 68 – 59 Yes, 7 No, 2 Abstentions”
- Art. 10 Amend the Island Housing Trust ground lease at Carl Widdiss Way to add an easement for accessible parking Passed “PASS: YES · Total 70 – 61 Yes, 5 No, 4 Abstenstions”
- Art. 11 Transfer $50,000 from available funds to the OPEB Stabilization Fund Passed “PASS: YES · Total 72 – 60 Yes, 7 No, 5 Abstentions”
- Art. 12 Raise and appropriate $5,000 for MVC transportation engineering services in FY2025 Passed “PASS: YES · Total 49 – 41 Yes, 6 No, 2 Abstentions”
- Art. 13 Take $2,400 from available funds for FY22 and FY23 unpaid wages due the Fire Chief Passed “PASS: YES · Total 70 – 63 Yes, 6 No, 1 Abstention”
- Art. 14 Transfer $50,000 from the Waterways Fund to dredge the West Basin Harbor entrance Passed “PASS: YES · Total 69 – 68 Yes, 1 No”
- Art. 15 Accept G.L. c. 44, s. 55C to create an Aquinnah Affordable Housing Trust Fund Passed “PASS: YES · Total 70 – 58 Yes, 9 No, 3 Abstentions”
- Art. 16 Establish the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and its board, and add the trust bylaw to the General Bylaws Passed “PASS: YES · Total 51 – 42 Yes, 5 No, 4 Abstentions”
- Art. 17 Reserve FY2025 Community Preservation revenues ($280,000 projected) among CPA reserves and admin costs Passed “PASS: YES · Total 50 – 47 Yes, 2 No, 1 Abstention”
- Art. 18 Appropriate $227,400 in CPA housing funds (Island Autism Group, rental assistance, IHT projects, Carl Widdiss Way apartments) Passed “PASS: YES · Total 57 – 51 Yes, 5 No, 1 Abstention”
- Art. 19 Appropriate $85,000 in CPA historic funds: ACC archives $35,000, Grange Hall $10,000, Gay Head Light lantern room $40,000 Passed “PASS: Yes · Total 52 – 49 Yes, 2 No, 1 Abstention”
- Art. 20 Appropriate CPA open space funds: $125,000 Town Center playground and courts, $55,500 Aquinnah Circle mortgage costs Passed “PASS: YES · Total 60 – 53 Yes, 5 No, 2 Abstentions”
Source: Town Clerk's minutes of the May 14, 2024 Annual Town Meeting.
Not here yet: the May 2025 and May 2026 Annual Town Meetings and any Special Town Meetings held since January 2024 (the town posts minutes only for the May 14, 2024 Annual Town Meeting, and its 2024 and 2025 Annual Town Reports print only the warrants, not the results).
Titles are short descriptions of each article from the official record; the quoted words are the Town Clerk’s. A vote at Town Meeting is not the final word on everything: some articles also need a ballot vote (such as a tax override) or the Attorney General’s approval (bylaws).
Members
ChairGary HaleyChair · Elected townwide · at 15 of 16 meetings
Vice-ChairJulianne VanderhoopVice-Chair · Elected townwide · at 14 of 16 meetings
Tom MurphyMember · Elected townwide · at 15 of 16 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the members the minutes list as present at the start of each meeting in this record. Members who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board minutes from January 5, 2021 through June 2, 2026, from the town website (the town had not posted anything newer as of October 4, 2026). Executive session minutes are not included. Aquinnah’s minutes are written as a story of each item rather than a formal vote list. When they give a count such as “3 in favor, 0 opposed” or say a motion passed “unanimously”, every member present is shown voting yes, and members who abstained are shown by name. Many decisions are recorded only as “the Board voted to…” or in the item’s heading, with no count or names; those show the result only. Several files the town posted under June–December 2021 dates are copies of other meetings’ minutes, so those meetings are missing. We will ask the town about these.
Votes where members disagreed
Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.
Apr 14Board approved 1-year contract and appointed Special OfficersMotion: Board approved 1-year contract and appointed Special OfficersPassed · see note
April 14, 2025: Board approved 1-year contract and appointed Special Officers
Board approved 1-year contract and appointed Special Officers
The minutes say the board voted or acted but give no count and no names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“Following the request the Board approved Lt..”
Apr 14Approved warrant as presentedMotion: Approved warrant as presentedPassed · see note
April 14, 2025: Approved warrant as presented
Approved warrant as presented
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Approved warrant as presented”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
Apr 14Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, JrMotion: Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, Jr.Passed · see note
April 14, 2025: Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, Jr.
Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, Jr.
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, Jr.”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“(Approved emergency repair by Lew Colby, Jr.).”
Mar 25Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30Motion: Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30Passed · see note
March 25, 2025: Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30
Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“(Extended Commercial Scallop Season to April 30).”
Mar 11Approved appeal of the notice of perimeter surveyMotion: Approved appeal of the notice of perimeter surveyPassed · see note
March 11, 2025: Approved appeal of the notice of perimeter survey
Approved appeal of the notice of perimeter survey
The minutes say the board voted or acted but give no count and no names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“Other Business Board approved providing notice to Jack Collins waiving any claim of conflict of interest in his writing a contract between the Town and Dukes County Sheriff that would allow for qualified member of the Sheriff’s Department to fill in for a retiring Aquinnah police officer..”
Feb 11Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by CounselMotion: Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by CounselPassed · see note
February 11, 2025: Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by Counsel
Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by Counsel
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by Counsel”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“(Approved license extension of Comcast as recommended by Counsel).”
Jan 21Voted to disregard any past contact with representativesMotion: Voted to disregard any past contact with representativesPassed · see note
January 21, 2025: Voted to disregard any past contact with representatives
Voted to disregard any past contact with representatives
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Voted to disregard any past contact with representatives”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“(Voted to disregard any past contact with representatives).”
Jan 21Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash forceMotion: Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash forcePassed · see note
January 21, 2025: Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash force
Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash force
The minutes record this decision only in the item’s heading (“Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash force”), with no count or names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“(Appointed Oliver Crowell to the regional trash force).”
Nov 22Appoint Paul, Gary seconded the motion and the Board…Motion: appoint Paul, Gary seconded the motion and the Board voted to…Passed · see note
November 22, 2024: Appoint Paul, Gary seconded the motion and the Board voted to accept Paul’s request
Appoint Paul, Gary seconded the motion and the Board voted to accept Paul’s request
The minutes say the board voted or acted but give no count and no names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“Tom Murphy made a motion to appoint Paul, Gary seconded the motion and the Board voted to accept Paul’s request..” (Motion: Murphy, second: Haley)
Nov 22Authorize the Town Administrator to write the requested letter…Motion: authorize the Town Administrator to write the requested letter of supportPassed · see note
November 22, 2024: Authorize the Town Administrator to write the requested letter of support
Authorize the Town Administrator to write the requested letter of support
The minutes say the board voted or acted but give no count and no names, so only the result is shown.
From the minutes
“Following the presentation Tom Murphy made a motion to authorize the Town Administrator to write the requested letter of support. Gary Haley seconded the motion and the Board voted to approve the motion as stated..” (Motion: Murphy, second: Haley)
From the Aquinnah Select Board’s official minutes, posted on the town website. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Christopher Manning (Sarah Shaw Dawson) and Tom Murphy (Nikeya Tankard), The Martha’s Vineyard Times; Julianne Vanderhoop (Amber Bettencourt, The Martha’s Vineyard Times, 2017); Gary Haley (Ray Ewing, Vineyard Gazette).
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