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Municipal votes · 2021–2022 Board

Edgartown Selectboard

How the Edgartown Selectboard voted, from the Selectboard’s official minutes. 3 Selectboard members elected townwide. Michael Donaroma chaired the board from June 2021 (Arthur Smadbeck until then). Covers 48 meetings, April 20 to April 11, 2022.

A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.

What does the Selectboard 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 Selectboard, votes the town budget and town bylaws.

Sources: Massachusetts Select Board Handbook (MMA) · Mass. Division of Local Services: the town budget
Election Day · Tuesday, Nov 3

Your Edgartown ballot: 13 quizzes, about a minute each.

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Board years

Coming up

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What Town Meeting decided

In Edgartown, Town Meeting — not the Selectboard — 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.

Special Town Meeting · April 14, 2026 11 votes: 11 passed

Source: Town Clerk's report of the 2026 Special Town Meeting.

Annual Town Meeting · April 14, 2026 71 votes: 65 passed, 4 passed as amended, 1 failed, 1 indefinitely postponed

Source: Town Clerk's report of the 2026 Annual Town Meeting.

Special Town Meeting · December 9, 2025 14 votes: 14 passed

Source: Town Clerk's record in the 2025 Annual Town Report.

Special Town Meeting · April 8, 2025 10 votes: 10 passed

Source: Town Clerk's record in the 2025 Annual Town Report.

Annual Town Meeting · April 8, 2025 86 votes: 76 passed, 5 passed as amended, 1 failed, 4 indefinitely postponed

Source: Town Clerk's record in the 2025 Annual Town Report.

Special Town Meeting · April 9, 2024 11 votes: 9 passed, 1 passed as amended, 1 other

Source: Town Clerk's report of the 2024 Special Town Meeting.

Annual Town Meeting · April 9, 2024 98 votes: 85 passed, 6 passed as amended, 2 failed, 5 indefinitely postponed

Source: Town Clerk's report of the 2024 Annual Town Meeting.

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

Margaret SerpaMember · Elected townwide · at 48 of 48 meetingsArthur SmadbeckMember · Elected townwide · at 44 of 48 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: Selectboard (Board of Selectmen until 2022) minutes from January 4, 2021 through May 18, 2026, from the town website (none newer posted as of October 4, 2026). Executive session minutes are not included; scanned minutes were read with text recognition and checked. Edgartown’s minutes record nearly every vote as “Mr. Donaroma moved to approve. Ms. Serpa seconded. Unanimous.” or “The Board did a rollcall vote and all voted Aye”; those are shown as every member present voting yes. Members who stepped aside on an item (“Mr. Donaroma abstained”) are shown as abstaining. Only one split vote is recorded. A few motions with no vote recorded are left out. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.

Monday, April 11, 2022 · Regular meeting2 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentTuesday, April 5, 2022 · Regular meeting1 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, April 4, 2022 · Regular meeting4 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentTuesday, March 29, 2022 · Regular meeting2 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 28, 2022 · Regular meeting4 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members present

Votes where members disagreed

Most board votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one member voted no or abstained, newest first.

Jan 4Put the latest version of the Housing Bank article…Motion: put the most recent version of the article on the Annual…Passed 2–1 · No: Serpa

January 4, 2022: Put the latest version of the Housing Bank article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant

ApprovePassed · 2–1

Put the most recent version of the article on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant

Yes: Donaroma, SmadbeckNo: Serpa

From the minutes

“o be a huge hit to Edgartown. The town needs to do more for itself by finishing the Meshacket project. This is a huge percent at 2%. Nantucket is at .5%. She thinks the town can do more. Mr. Donaroma took a rollcall vote. Mr. Smadbeck and Mr. Donaroma voted Aye. Ms. Serpa voted Nay. The vote passed. Mr. Donaroma then moved on to the next item on the agenda which was an update on Church Street from the VTA. Present was Angela Grant. Ms. Gr.” (Motion: Smadbeck, second: Donaroma)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

Dec 13Change of name for the Manager of Alchemy —…Motion: change of name for the Manager of Alchemy — approvePassed 2–0 · see note

December 13, 2021: Change of name for the Manager of Alchemy — approve

ApprovePassed · 2–0

Change of name for the Manager of Alchemy — approve

Yes: Serpa, SmadbeckMichael Donaroma abstained.

From the minutes

“Ms. Serpa moved to approve. Mr. Smadbeck seconded. Unanimous. The Board then approved the following Liquor License Renewals (Mr. Donaroma abstained on Bad Martha's): Alchemy, Als, Bad Marthas, Edgartown Diner, Edgartown Meat & Fish, Edgartown Reading Room, Edgartown Yacht Club, Harborview Hotel, Kelley House, MV Wine & Spiri.” (Motion: Serpa, second: Smadbeck)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

May 17Approve removal of the two trees and replacement by…Motion: approve removal of the two trees and replacement by October 31,…Passed 2–0 · see note

May 17, 2021: Approve removal of the two trees and replacement by October 31, 2021 with location and species to be determined by the Tree Warden

ApprovePassed · 2–0

Approve removal of the two trees and replacement by October 31, 2021 with location and species to be determined by the Tree Warden

Yes: Serpa, SmadbeckMichael Donaroma abstained.

From the minutes

“Ms. Serpa moved to approve removal of the two trees and replacement by October 31, 2021 with location and species to be determined by the Tree Warden. Mr. Smadbeck seconded. Unanimous. Mr. Donaroma then rejoined the meeting. Mr. Smadbeck then opened the next item on the agenda which was a Shade Tree Hearing for 62 S. Water Street. Present was Ms. Bonnie Widdoes, property owner. Ms. Widdoes stated that the Norway Maple was in poor condition and h.” (Motion: Serpa, second: Smadbeck)

Read it in the official minutes, page 1 (PDF)

From the Edgartown Selectboard’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: The Martha’s Vineyard Times: Arthur Smadbeck (file photo), Alex Morrison (election day, April 2025, Nicholas Vukota), Margaret Serpa (March 2026, Nicholas Vukota). Julia Tarka: Jeanna Shepard, Vineyard Gazette (April 2026).

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