A proposal to enact term limits for Steamship Authority board members continued to draw mixed feelings from Island select boards this week. 

State Sen. Dylan Fernandes filed a bill earlier this year that would limit each board member for the ferry line to three, three-year terms. The Steamship board members, who oversee the managers of the authority, currently have no limit on the number of terms they can serve and two members have served for longer than a decade. 

A recently-formed Steamship citizen’s action group that backs the limits has been going to Island select boards to garner support for the bill. Last week, Oak Bluffs questioned the need for the bill and West Tisbury backed the proposal. This week, the action group went to Chilmark and Aquinnah, and received two different reactions. 

While Chilmark was cool to the idea, Aquinnah officials gave the bill enthusiastic support.

“I’ve read through it and I agree wholeheartedly with it,” Aquinnah select board member Tom Murphy said at Tuesday’s board meeting. 

Beth O’Connor, a member of the action group’s steering committee, said it’s important for the local governments to voice their support.

“It’s one thing for us to drive to Boston and show-up at the hearing… but it’s another thing for the local government to agree to support it,” she said. 

Mr. Murphy said he’s served on several boards throughout his career at colleges, hospitals and banks and said most typically have three, three-year terms or two, five-year terms. 

Select board members Juli Vanderhoop and Chris Manning did not voice their opinion, but the board voted unanimously in favor of writing a letter of support. 

“Could you just try to do the same thing with the United States Congress?” Mr. Murphy joked.

The Chilmark board voted 2-1 Tuesday against sending a letter of support. Board member Matt Poole was against sending a letter of support primarily because he doesn’t think it wholly represents the town’s stance.  

“I really think that if this is going to be decided, it should be decided at the town level and not by the select board,” he said.

James Malkin, a former Chilmark select board member who is currently the Vineyard representative on the Steamship Authority board and in his second term, said that while he personally agrees that three terms is enough, he is concerned about possible ripple effects.  

“My concern with this proposal is [that] it’s being presented as good governance, good best practice, but there is no term limit on our state legislators,” he said. “[This may] create a scenario where the state could say to the town of Chilmark, for example, we are going to put a bill in to limit the terms of the select board of Chilmark or any of the towns.” 

The bill is currently before the state legislature’s committee on transportation. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.