Casting paper ballots marked YES or NO, Tisbury voters overwhelmingly approved 373 to 112 nearly $26 million in new funding for the proposed school renovations.
The Tisbury School will receive the extra $26 million needed to complete its renovation and addition project, after voters backed the borrowing measure 373-112 at a special town meeting Tuesday night.
Nearly 500 voters checked in for the meeting at the regional high school performing arts center in Oak Bluffs, according to an unofficial tally from town clerk Hillary Conklin.
Tisbury has about 3,700 registered voters and a town meeting quorum of 100.
In June, 2021 a $55 million Prop. 2 1/2 override for the school passed by 237-5 at the town meeting and 821-224 at the ballot box. The town sought permission to borrow the additional $25,610,841 after estimated costs soared by more than 50 per cent due to inflation, which Tisbury school committee chair Amy Houghton said is affecting other communities as well.
Tisbury school committee chair Amy Houghton gives the thumbs up after the results come in.
Tisbury school committee chair Amy Houghton gives the thumbs up after the results come in.
“The town of Oak Bluffs just completed their town hall and the cost per square foot for that building was $900. The current Chilmark fire station project is approximately $1,300 a square foot,” Ms. Houghton told the assembled voters, urging a yes vote.
The Tisbury School project will enlarge the 56,000-square-foot school to 70,000 square feet, town administrator Jay Grande said. The total project budget is $81,843,284.
Along with Ms. Houghton, Mr. Grande and other town and school officials who answered questions about the project, more than a dozen voters spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, which was held at the high school because the Tisbury School gym is being dismantled and the town has no other suitable gathering place.
“We are making history this evening, or at least in modern times. The town of Tisbury is convening a town meeting outside its jurisdiction,” town moderator Deborah Medders said after opening the proceedings at 7:25 p.m.
Several of the voters who spoke opposed the additional borrowing, saying the school project should instead be scaled back or re-started to save money and energy.
“A yes vote will saddle many in our community with an untenable debt,” said planning board chair Ben Robinson, who also objected to the lack of renewable energy systems in the school project’s design.
Nearly 500 voters turned out for the meeting.
Nearly 500 voters turned out for the meeting.
“Say no, and open up a different kind of conversation,” Mr. Robinson said.
Homeowner Don Keller said he’d rather see an all-new school than a retrofit of the current structure, originally built in 1929.
“To me, it’s not about the money, it’s about the future. I’m voting no,” Mr. Keller said.
Project opponent Marie Laursen spoke bitterly about the town’s decision, backed by the state department of revenue, not to hold a ballot box vote on the $26 million request.
“This end run around the taxpayers is wrong,” Ms. Laursen said. “It sets an uneasy precedent and deprives any taxpayer who is not here tonight from having a say on the matter.”
Lorraine Wells took the opposing view.
Paper votes were tallied by hand.
Paper votes were tallied by hand.
“Town meeting is democracy. People choose to come or not come to town meeting the way they choose to come or not come to an election,” Ms. Wells said.
“I don’t believe that town meeting is autocratic. We are here to have our say,” she concluded.
On a motion by Ms. Laursen, the meeting voted 252 to 197 in favor of using paper ballots for the borrowing article.
The debate continued as more speakers urged their neighbors to vote in favor of the article.
“This is Plan B. We had a Plan A that was defeated,” Alex Meleney said, referring to an earlier school project that failed by a narrow margin at the ballot box after approval at town meeting.
“Every time we vote these down the cost doesn’t go down, it goes up,” Mr. Meleney said.
Rachel Wild speaks in favor of approving the funding.
Rachel Wild speaks in favor of approving the funding.
Identifying herself as a Tisbury School graduate as well as the parent of a second-grader there, Rachel Wild enthusiastically appealed for yes votes.
“It’s not fair to our students to be deprived, [and] if we don’t do it now, what are we going to do?” Ms. Wild said. “Support our Tisbury Tigers.”
Advancing two rows at a time, voters were handed yellow slips pre-printed with YES and NO to tear in two before placing their chosen vote in the ballot box and discarding the other half.
Many voters then headed straight for the door instead of the seats where they’d spent the past two-plus hours, leaving a die-hard crew of school and town officials, construction managers and media to hear the results from Ms. Medders shortly after 10:30 p.m.
With the approval, work will resume at the school gym first thing Wednesday, said Christina Opper of Daedalus/CHA, the longterm owner’s project manager for the Tisbury School.
“We don’t have any time to waste,” Ms. Opper said.
Students and staff are expected to move into temporary modular classrooms on campus in November so that work can begin on the main school building.
Comments
Yikes, where does it end?
Mark EdgartownYikes, where does it end? More property taxes and more taxes on real estate transactions. Haven’t homeowner already paid their fair share?
Our town said "No" to dealing
Schools Out TisburyOur town said "No" to dealing with its asbestos and mold filled 100 year old school for years. Even the state offered to help pay. Eventually we have to pay for kicking the (school) can down the road. Why are you worried if you live in Edgartown?
Wow. I didn't expect this. I
Island Resident West TisburyWow. I didn't expect this. I thought it would be a much closer vote. What's going on, is Tisbury changing its ways.
What a huge mistake.
Tom Engley West TisburyWhat a huge mistake. Regionalize our entire school system. A awesome waste of money.
Those registered voters who
Jason Peringer Vineyard HavenThose registered voters who cast a ballot in favor of this additional funding essentially signed their own eviction notice. The town of Tisbury has established a spending budget that has expanded while their revenue base has decreased. Despite the additional income from the short-term rental tax in the town, the acquisitions of property by non-profit entities, as well as the growing number of municipal projects in town, coupled with obligations the town has to those future projects beyond the town's borders, charts a course for an unsustainable balance sheet headed for financial ruin, ending in state conservatorship.
I remember when the Tisbury
Happy TisburyI remember when the Tisbury tax rate was raised before now and some people said that people would move away, that didn’t happen look at the housing market. Are there some people in to much house for them to afford? Well, ya it an American thing. And if people on West Chop just get so frustrated, they put their seasonal houses up for sale so what, someone else will buy them happily. I will pay my property tax no problem I already worked out the financing fifty years ago so we could retire and remain in our home here on island you may say I am lucky and I would agree I have been working on my luck for my entire adult life. Something I will not agree with you is going cheap on the future of our towns children or not improving town infrastructure and continuing to make life her in Tisbury better and better. Living in Tisbury in the county of Dukes in the state of Massachusetts is a blessing surrounded with natural beauty and living in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which, boasts a top spot every year on the national public educational scale for the entire country. I know that fact is kind of scary makes you wonder what other states are teaching their little ones might explain some of the strife we see across this divided country where tribalism seems to be on the rise. Oh well, I’ll pay the increase and be happy I live in this very special place.
I don't live in Tisbury, and
AB OBI don't live in Tisbury, and I just sold my house there. I don't know how people will be able to afford the taxes unless they're rich. I'm sure the project will need more money, it has only started. What a waste!
This is a slippery slope…. We
Jerry TisburyThis is a slippery slope…. We don’t need this.
These people are blowing
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownThese people are blowing their money just so they can say, we have a fancy school. Doesn't mean the kids will do any better, with all these educated adults here,one thing they never learned was common sense
Fancy school? It's rehabbing
Schools Out TisburyFancy school? It's rehabbing the ancient relic a majority of the citizenry demanded happen. You think removing asbestos, mold, and lead pipes is fancy? A "fancy" new school would've been subsidized by the state, built and open by now, and at a much lower cost. No one ever accuses us of being the smartest town on the island.
The ayes haven it and now we
Frank Brunelle Vineyard HavenThe ayes haven it and now we pay. But the economic climate looks very weak, and is predicted to be so for some time. We hear rosy reports of how Co2 will be net zero by 2050 but it keeps climbing no matter what we throw at it, and we never seem to recognize that in fact Net Zero is a goal that is in reality a fantasy. It will cost billions if not trillions. Putin is threatening a nuclear strike and when a country is losing a war history tells us that the losing side will resort to any base level and so if he makes good on his threat what then? There are some among us who thought it prudent to not take on so much debt, but we have it now in the middle of recession, high interest rates, climate deteriorating, and war. I would not want to be a young home owner especially with children in Tisbury right now. We can be positive and hope it will be just fine. Let's hope so.
Old-timers typically say what
Jay Vineyard HavenOld-timers typically say what you've said. As a young home owner with kids about to enter school I'm simply thrilled that common sense has finally arrived. My kids will be getting an education in a school where health and safety concerns are no longer a worry. And a school teachers will want to teach in. Naysayers ruled our town for decades. We could've done things at pre-Covid contractor rates, with no supply chain issues, with state subsidies, and at lower interest rates. The naysayers brought us to where we are today.
I couldn't agree more with
Laura Artru TisburyI couldn't agree more with Maria Larsons statement concerning ballot votes for those with various reasons were unable to attend, this is not democratic.
Democracy requires effort,
Kevin VHDemocracy requires effort, not convenience. I juggled my schedule and attended.
What 26 million ?? I made a
Paul VhWhat 26 million ?? I made a comment a few years back that this project will double in cost.
I was right… this is crazy spending
A new school costs money‽
Elisha Wiesner ChilmarkA new school costs money‽ Well clutch my pearls! This is great news for the students and staff of the Tisbury school.
I must object to Ms Wells
Brenda Horrigan TisburyI must object to Ms Wells contention that this is “democracy” & people who cared showed up in person. I had to leave MV for emergency surgery 2 days before the vote. Not having this important issue on the ballot deprived my husband & me of a voice in something that affects us directly. I’m sure there are others in a similar situation, physically unable to be present but who care very much about this issue.
My son, husband and I all had
BSL TisburyMy son, husband and I all had to be off-island for the vote. We would have voted “yes” most emphatically. We all were students there and now I have grandchildren attending and I was a teacher at TISBURY School. We cannot afford to regroup or the money already spent(and lost because of the last vote) will all be for nothing!!
Why are we in this position?
Frank Brunelle TisburyWhy are we in this position? Taxes will rise and simultaneously electric rates explode, interest rates jump - again - adding significantly to our 30 year debt - and a recession will make paying the debt more difficult. How is it possible we missed all of these signals? Aspen has a think tank, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/ and if we had an organization like that we could do a better job of understanding our actions. But we have nothing of the sort anymore. We do have the MV Commission but they do not allow discussion on certain issues - for example Shared Use Paths - and they are not equipped to look at all sides of a story such as our Steamship Authority and certainly not what the ramifications of spending millions and burdening property owners when possibly a better solution could be found. Instead, we put our Town Administrator and Select Board to work on one goal - and not considering what factors may make a different outcome be better. We need an Aspen Institute type of organization. This vote makes that very clear.
In light of Ms. Hufstader's
Marie Laursen TisburyIn light of Ms. Hufstader's description of me being an "opponent" and "bitter," and the Vineyard Gazette's refusal to print my letter to the editor last week, I am going to respond to her obviously biased description of town meeting, especially Weit Bachellor's railing at Ben Robinson over a letter written over four years ago, before the pandemic, and before inflation. Her comments would be more aptly described as bitter, I think. Ben was very correct in his factual comments, but once again ignored by those in opposition to building a better, greener, school for the future.
My comments at town meeting were directly related to the unfair decision made by the select board to circumvent the 3,200 voters not in attendance by getting an approval from the MA DOR to skip the vote at the polls, as required by Prop 2&1/2. The motion for a paper ballot passed by 252 people for, vs. 197 against. People on both sides voted for a paper ballot.That speaks for itself big difference.
In addition, I did not say that the select board's decision was autocratic, as stated by Lorraine Wells. I said it was authoritarian.
I am just pointing out the obvious bias in Ms. Hufstader's article. Hold the tomatoes.
Sincerely,
Marie Laursen
Please, those in attendance
Happy TisburyPlease, those in attendance heard what you said, please don’t try to change the facts. Hey Marie, those cut through roads you were against would have helped some people after the town meeting get home safer and faster, just saying.
What I don't understand is,
Islander61 OBWhat I don't understand is, three years ago the taxpayers of VH had the opportunity for a new school building where up to 40% was to be reimbursed by the MSBA. Yet, the taxpayers voted it down at the polls because someone sold them a bill of goods saying renovating a 100 year old building full of mold, asbestos, old electrical, old, if any, HVAC, and out of date infrastructure that can't pass code, would be cheaper. Shame on you. Now those same taxpayers are stuck with a higher bill because the people who they believed were wrong, yet they continue to think it will be cheaper down the road. The project is already 3 years behind schedule because of your naïveté. Admit you made a mistake 3 years ago and move on, you have no one else to point the finger at but yourselves. In the meantime, your children and teachers are suffering from your mistake. Again, shame on you.
Thank you for bringing this
James Smith ChilmarkThank you for bringing this up, I’ll never understand why the people of VH voted down the first plan, and how they are not feeling duped and displeased with the people who led them down that road. Is this what you guys wanted? Even without inflation this is a worse deal than if you had voted the first plan in.
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