A divided Tisbury select board voted Tuesday to support state legislation seeking term limits for Steamship Authority board members, who are appointed by their local governments.

The board voted 2-1 to send a letter to the state senate’s transportation committee, which is currently considering the bill that would restrict SSA board members to no more than three three-year terms.

Select board member John Cahill, who also serves on the Steamship Authority’s advisory port council as a town appointee, held out against writing a letter of support for the bill.

“We would be giving up our flexibility by allowing term limits. It leaves us vulnerable,” Mr. Cahill said, arguing that it is not always easy to find strong candidates to replace successful but termed-out incumbents.

He also said Island towns should not dictate how other port communities handle their Steamship Authority representation.

His fellow board members believed the bill could spur change at the ferry line. 

“The buildings and the ships are not being run properly, built properly or maintained properly,” said select board member Christina Colarusso. 

Tisbury was the last Island town to weigh in on the bill, proposed earlier this year by state Sen. Dylan Fernandes.

The Vineyard’s response has been decidedly mixed. Aquinnah’s select board agreed unanimously last month to support the legislation, which was unanimously opposed by the Edgartown select board.

The West Tisbury board voted 2-0-1 to endorse the bill, while the Chilmark board voted 2-1 against sending a letter of support and the select board in Oak Bluffs declined to vote on the matter at all.