Tisbury voters defeated the controversial $3 million connector road at their annual town meeting Tuesday night.

A total of 221 voters turned out for the meeting at the Tisbury School gymnasium, completing just half the 33-article warrant before recessing at 10 p.m. for a second evening. The meeting reconvenes at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

As expected, the connector road plan between Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road and State Road attracted the most debate.

“This is a tough issue,” said Tisbury selectman Tristan Israel. “There certainly is an upside to building this road and I’m in favor of the concept . . . but I think we have more important priorities to deal with.”

Jon Snyder and Tom Pachico, who are both running for an open seat on the board of selectmen, also spoke against the plan, calling it too costly.

Fred LaPiana, director of the town public works department, pressed the case for the connector road, saying that the cost will only grow higher in the future.

“I hate to say this but I don’t think we’re going to be successful [attracting state funding] next year,” Mr. LaPiana said. “So it really is up to us if we want to go forward with this project.”

In the end the article was defeated 102 to 97, falling far short of the needed two-thirds majority.

Voters also approved a $20.8 million town operating budget, a $40,000 space needs study for the Tisbury School, $160,000 to purchase the trailers currently leased for the town annex, and $234,000 in transfers from the town’s ferry embarkation fee receipts for downtown beautification and public safety items. At the outset voters also quickly dispatched a 15-article special town meeting warrant that failed to attract a quorum last Tuesday.