West Tisbury raised its residential tax exemption from 5 per cent to 30 per cent at the fiscal year 2026 tax classification hearing on Wednesday. 

The select board approved the increase in a unanimous vote, saying it wanted to make it easier for people who live on the Island year-round.

Residential tax exemptions are allowed under state law, and Tisbury and Oak Bluffs have similar exemptions. The exemption lowers property taxes for homeowners who call West Tisbury their primary residence and shifts some of that burden to those who own seasonal residences in town.  

West Tisbury first enacted the exemption last year after a robust public back and forth on the issue. Last year, the tax rate was $4.53 per $1,000 for residential class properties and $4.47 for commercial, industrial and personal property, according to the town's principal assessor MacGregor Anderson. 

For fiscal year 2026, it is estimated that the rate will be $5.22 per $1,000 for residential class properties and $4.75 per for commercial, industrial and personal property.

Residential homeowners would have around $585,000 taken off their assessed property value before taxes are calculated. About 700 households qualify for this exemption.  

Though select board vice chair Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter ultimately voted for the increase, he voiced concerns about shifting the bill onto second homeowners who may not be able to shoulder the higher cost. 

“A lot of these people have owned these homes for generations and are not necessarily wealthy to support these and they’re my friends and neighbors,” he said. “They participate in our community, especially in the summertime, whether at the fair or at the farmers’ market or volunteering with the book sale at the library and all these things.”  

Select board member Jessica Miller countered, saying that many of those second homeowners benefit from this exemption in their primary residence. She also said that seasonal residents still use services provided by year-round residents.  

“In terms of fire departments and police departments and all the other services we offer and seasonal residents need, they may only use them for two months, but we still have to staff them,” she said. “In terms of school expenses, their children may not attend our schools, but their employees’ children do.” 

There was a consensus behind the increase from members of the public who attended the hearing.

“By reducing the tax burden, it’ll go a long way, and I think it also sent a very strong signal to the state that West Tisbury is taking proactive steps towards securing home ownership situations that already exist and promoting home ownership opportunities for future low and moderate income homeowners in West Tisbury,” Laura Silber, the Island housing planner at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, said at the meeting. 

West Tisbury resident Joanne Taylor supported raising the exemption to help her be able to continue affording living on the Island. 

“This is very important to someone like me, who’s a senior,” she said. “It would be frightening to me to consider losing my home and having to move off Island.”