How the Oak Bluffs Select Board voted, from the Select Board’s official minutes. 5 Select Board members elected townwide. William (Bill) Cleary joined the board after the April 2026 town election; Tom Hallahan left. Dion Alley chairs the board, with Sean DeBettencourt as Vice Chair. Minutes loaded through September 22, 2026. Covers 17 meetings so far, April 21 to September 22, 2026.
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.
Oak Bluffs Select Board: 8 out of 10 · Mostly open
How easy Oak Bluffs makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the town’s records, not any official. Checked October 4, 2026.
✓Minutes postedMinutes are posted for nearly every Select Board meeting in the past year.Full points: 2/2
✓Each vote namedNearly every vote is a roll call naming how each member voted.Full points: 3/3
✓Posted quicklyMinutes go up within a few weeks of each meeting.Full points: 2/2
✓Past years onlineSelect Board minutes from 2008 to today are online.Full points: 1/1
✕Readable textMost minutes are scanned images, so you can’t search or copy the text.No points: 0/1
✕Member photosThe Select Board page has no member photos.No points: 0/1
How the town can raise its score
Readable text (+1): Save minutes straight from Word or Google Docs as a PDF instead of printing and scanning them. If a scan is needed, turn on the scanner’s “searchable PDF” or text-recognition setting.
Member photos (+1): Show a photo of each member on the board’s web page, with their name, the date their term ends and how to contact them. A group photo of the members, with everyone named in the caption or on the same page, earns half a point.
From the agendas Oak Bluffs posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
What Town Meeting decided
In Oak Bluffs, 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.
Special Town Meeting · November 4, 2025 14 votes: 13 passed, 1 passed as amended
Art. 1Amend the Personnel By-Laws to change references to the Personnel OfficePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 2Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 6.2 on adding new positionsPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 3Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 7.3 on new hire starting payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 4Amend Personnel By-Laws Sections 8.1 and 8.2 on hiring and advertisingPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 5Delete Personnel By-Laws Section 9.1.4 on the work week for paramedic shift supervisorsPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 6Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 12.2 on holiday payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 7Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 13 on vacation timePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 8Amend Personnel By-Laws Section 18.1 on longevity payPassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 9Amend Personnel Bylaws Schedule A classification schedulePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 10Amend General Bylaw Section 304, Finance and Advisory CommitteePassed“seconded and voted”
Art. 11Amend General Bylaw 201-7, Mopeds / Motor ScootersPassed as amended“voted”
Not here yet: the April 14, 2026 Special and Annual Town Meetings (the 2026 Annual Town Report is not out yet and the Town Clerk posts only the warrants online).
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).
"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.
Attendance
29 full-board meetings so far this year, through September 22. Ties share a rank.
From the official minutes: full-board meetings only (committee meetings are not counted). Members are counted only for meetings held while they served, and arriving late counts as attending. The minutes rarely say why a member was absent.
A monthly email on its votes and who was there, starting in November.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: Select Board (Board of Selectmen until 2021) minutes from January 12, 2021 through September 22, 2026, from the town’s Agenda Center. Executive session minutes and subcommittee meetings are not included; many minutes are scanned, so we read them with text recognition and checked the votes. Nearly every vote is a roll call naming each member, such as “Roll Call Vote: Cleary - Aye, Leonard - Nay, Alley - Nay… (1 - Aye, 4 - Nay)”. In 2022 some votes give only a count such as “(4 - Aye)”; when the count equals the members present, each is shown voting yes. When a roll call leaves out a member who was at the meeting (for example after they left the room or recused), we show the votes as recorded and say who is not listed. Counts that don’t match the members present show the count only. A few motions with no vote recorded are left out. We will ask the town to confirm any noted vote.
“Select Person DeBetlencourt made a motion to move article #6 forward for appropriate reviews with public outreach Roll Call Vote: Leonard - Aye, Cleary - Aye, Alley - Nay, DeBettencourt - Nay, Green-Beach - Nay (2 - Aye, 3 - Nay) Article #7 State of Emergency Chair Alley explained this pro.” (Motion: DeBettencourt, second: Green-Beach)
Jul 28Form a small working group for I Circuit Avenue…Motion: form a small working group for I Circuit Avenue (Island Theatre)Passed Unanimous, 4 present · see note
July 28, 2026: Form a small working group for I Circuit Avenue (Island Theatre)
ApprovePassed · Unanimous, 4 present
Form a small working group for I Circuit Avenue (Island Theatre)
The roll call does not list William Cleary.
From the minutes
“Select Person DeBettencourt made a motion to form a small working group for I Circuit Avenue (Island Theatre) Vote: Green-Beach - Aye, Leonard - Aye, Alley - Aye, DeBettencourt - Aye (4 - Aye) * Cleary out of the room Discussion and possible vote to stipulate ef.” (Motion: DeBettencourt, second: Green-Beach)
Jul 28Approve the application for storage fuel license YMCA 111R…Motion: approve the application for storage fuel license YMCA 111R Edgartown Vineyard…Passed 5–0 · see note
July 28, 2026: Approve the application for storage fuel license YMCA 111R Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road
ApprovePassed · 5–0
Approve the application for storage fuel license YMCA 111R Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road
The minutes list each member’s vote but the tally in brackets (5 Aye) does not match, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Select Person DeBettencourt made a motion to approve the application for storage fuel license YMCA 111R Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road Vote: Green-Beach - Aye, Cleary - Aye, Leonard ~ Aye, Alley - Aye, DeBettencourt - Aye (5 - Aye) Discussion and possible vote to approve waiver for the building morat.” (Motion: DeBettencourt, second: Green-Beach)
Jul 14Deny the application for the reinstatement of the taxi…Motion: deny the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for…Failed 1–4 · No: Alley, DeBettencourt, Green-Beach, Leonard
July 14, 2026: Deny the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms
DenyFailed · 1–4
Deny the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms
Yes: ClearyNo: Alley, DeBettencourt, Green-Beach, Leonard
From the minutes
“Select Person Cleary made a motion to deny the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms Roll Call Vote: Cleary - Aye, Leonard - Nay, Alley - Nay, DeBettencourt - Nay, Green-Beach - Nay, (1 - Aye, 4 - Nay) .” (Motion: Cleary, second: DeBettencourt)
Jul 14Approve the application for the reinstatement of the taxi…Motion: approve the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for…Passed 4–1 · No: Cleary
July 14, 2026: Approve the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms for Blue Fish Taxi
ApprovePassed · 4–1
Approve the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms for Blue Fish Taxi
“Select Person DeBettencourt made a motion to approve the application for the reinstatement of the taxi permit for Chanderpaul Simms for Blue Fish Taxi Roll Call Vote: Cleary - Nay, Leonard - Aye, Alley - Aye, DeBettencourt - Aye, Green-Beach - Aye, (4 - Aye, 1 - Nay) 6:03 pm Chief Searle departed the meeting Discussion and po.” (Motion: DeBettencourt, second: Green-Beach)
Jun 23Approve -the display of 250 birthday American 3 x…Motion: approve -the display of 250 birthday American 3 x 5 flag…Failed 0–5 · No: Alley, Cleary, DeBettencourt, Green-Beach, Leonard
June 23, 2026: Approve -the display of 250 birthday American 3 x 5 flag on the fence at the Niantic Park courts from June 29" to July 6, 2026
ApproveFailed · 0–5
Approve -the display of 250 birthday American 3 x 5 flag on the fence at the Niantic Park courts from June 29" to July 6, 2026
No: Alley, Cleary, DeBettencourt, Green-Beach, Leonard
From the minutes
“Select Person DeBettencourt made a motion to approve -the display of 250 birthday American 3 x 5 flag on the fence at the Niantic Park courts from June 29" to July 6, 2026 Roll Call Vote: Green-Beach - Nay, Cleary - Nay, Leonard - Nay, Alley - Nay, DeBettencourt - Nay (5 - Nay) Discussion and possible vote to approve an intermunicipal agreement w.” (Motion: DeBettencourt, second: Leonard)
May 26Film permit application for Wednesday May 27" and Thursday…Motion: film permit application for Wednesday May 27" and Thursday May 28"…Passed 4–0 · see note
May 26, 2026: Film permit application for Wednesday May 27" and Thursday May 28" from 10:00am until 8:00pm and Friday May 29, 2026, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm for The Real Housewives…
ApprovePassed · 4–0
Film permit application for Wednesday May 27" and Thursday May 28" from 10:00am until 8:00pm and Friday May 29, 2026, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm for The Real Housewives of New York
The minutes list each member’s vote but the tally in brackets (4 Aye) does not match, so individual votes are not shown.
From the minutes
“Select Person Leonard made a motion to film permit application for Wednesday May 27" and Thursday May 28" from 10:00am until 8:00pm and Friday May 29, 2026, from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm for The Real Housewives of New York Vote: Alley - Aye, Cleary - Aye, Leonard - Aye, Green-Beach - Aye, DeBettencourt - Nay (4 - Aye, | - Nay) Discussion and possible vote to send a letter of support for.” (Motion: Leonard, second: Green-Beach)
From the Oak Bluffs Select Board’s official minutes, posted in the town’s Agenda Center. We check every vote against the members present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Photos: Dion Alley, Mark Leonard and Sean DeBettencourt (Ray Ewing) and Tom Hallahan (Jeanna Shepard), Vineyard Gazette; William Cleary and Emma Green-Beach (2024 election day) and Gail Barmakian, The Martha’s Vineyard Times.