Dukes County is looking to purchase the former home of the Vineyard Nursing Association to house the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living.
County Manager Martina Thornton told the Edgartown selectmen Monday about a preliminary plan to raise as much as $1.6 million to purchase and renovate the building, which is located near State Road in Tisbury.
Longstanding tensions between the Dukes County Commission and the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission over who really runs the airport wound up in superior court this week, when airport commissioners filed a complaint against the very body that appoints them.
After a wide-ranging discussion about the poor condition of the Edgartown courthouse due to deferred maintenance, the Dukes County advisory board voted this week to put $150,000 toward repairs on the 1858 brick building that stands in the center of town.
The advisory board voted unanimously Wednesday to move $150,000 from the county budget reserve fund into a newly created capital expenditures fund. The vote took place during a joint session of the county advisory board and the county commissioners.
The Dukes County commission voted this week to approve a $1.5 million budget for the coming fiscal year.
The budget marks a 17.9 per cent decrease over last year due to the state takeover of administrative affairs for the county sheriff’s department. Last year the sheriff’s portion of the county budget totalled $300,000.
Under the upcoming budget, total town assessments will drop from $649,279 to $492,739, county manager Martina Thornton told the commission at their meeting Wednesday.
Editor’s Note: Five candidates appear on the ballot for seven seats on the Dukes County Commission. One write-in candidate has announced her candidacy. If no write-in qualifies for the seventh slot, the seat will be filled by appointment via the county commission and Dukes County clerk of courts Joseph E. Sollitto Jr. Write-in candidates must receive at least 25 votes to be considered. In interviews with the Gazette, the candidates answered questions about county management and its future role on the Island.
The Dukes County commission voted Wednesday to name their executive administrative assistant as the new county manager.
Martina Thornton, who has held the number two staff position at the county for the past four years, will now negotiate a contract with members of the commission next week.
The vote to offer the job to Mrs. Thornton was unanimous. Two weeks ago the county commission voted to offer the job to New Hampshire attorney Katherine Rogers, but last week Ms. Rogers declined, citing personal health reasons.