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Municipal votes · 2022–2023 Board

Edgartown Selectboard

How the Edgartown Selectboard voted, from the Selectboard’s official minutes. 3 Selectboard members elected townwide. Margaret Serpa chaired the board (the Board of Selectmen became the Selectboard). Covers 45 meetings, April 19 to April 10, 2023.

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

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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

Michael DonaromaMember · Elected townwide · at 35 of 45 meetingsArthur SmadbeckMember · Elected townwide · at 42 of 45 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 10, 2023 · Regular meeting3 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAbsent: Michael DonaromaMonday, April 3, 2023 · Regular meeting3 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 27, 2023 · Regular meeting6 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 20, 2023 · Regular meeting5 recorded votes, 0 with disagreementAll 3 members presentMonday, March 13, 2023 · Regular meeting4 recorded votes, 1 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.

Dec 19Approve and sign with the condition that it also…Motion: approve and sign with the condition that it also be approved…Passed 2–0 · see note

December 19, 2022: Approve and sign with the condition that it also be approved and signed by the Conservation Commission

ApprovePassed · 2–0

Approve and sign with the condition that it also be approved and signed by the Conservation Commission

Yes: Serpa, SmadbeckMichael Donaroma abstained.

From the minutes

“Mr. Smadbeck moved to approve and sign with the condition that it also be approved and signed by the Conservation Commission. Mr. Donaroma seconded. Unanimous. The Board then approved the following items (Mr. Donaroma abstained from all Bad Martha's votes): Weekday Entertainment License Renewals: The Wharf Pub & Restaurant, Edgartown Diner, Bad Martha's Farmers Brewery, Edgartown Cinemas, Town Bar & Grill, Edgartown Yach.” (Motion: Smadbeck, second: Donaroma)

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

Nov 14Approve subject to replacement trees being approved and overseen…Motion: approve subject to replacement trees being approved and overseen by the…Passed 2–0 · see note

November 14, 2022: Approve subject to replacement trees being approved and overseen by the Tree Warden

ApprovePassed · 2–0

Approve subject to replacement trees being approved and overseen by the Tree Warden

Yes: Serpa, SmadbeckMichael Donaroma abstained.

From the minutes

“Mr. Smadbeck moved to approve subject to replacement trees being approved and overseen by the Tree Warden. Ms. Serpa seconded. Unanimous. Ms. Serpa then addressed the next item which was the extension of Seasonal Liquor Licenses. The Board had received a couple of requests to extend the season from establishments in town. Typically Seasonal Liquor Licenses end November 30th. Present was Julia Tarka fro.” (Motion: Smadbeck, second: Serpa)

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

Apr 19Ms. Serpa to be ChairMotion: Ms. Serpa to be ChairPassed 2–0 · see note

April 19, 2022: Ms. Serpa to be Chair

AppointPassed · 2–0

Ms. Serpa to be Chair

Yes: Donaroma, SmadbeckMargaret Serpa abstained.

From the minutes

“Mr. Smadbeck nominated Ms. Serpa to be Chair. Mr. Donaroma seconded. Ms. Serpa abstained. Unanimous. Ms. Serpa then continued the meeting as Chair and addressed the first item on the agenda which was an alcohol license hearing for The Town. “Notice is hereby given, that the Select Board will hold a public hearing for 227 Upper Main Street, LL.” (Motion: Smadbeck, second: Donaroma)

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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