The Martha’s Vineyard Commission this week approved a $2.6 million budget for fiscal year 2025.

The total reflects a 10 per cent increase in both revenue and expenses over the current fiscal year, according to the draft budget commissioners approved unanimously on Thursday night.

Individual towns will pay 2.2 per cent more for MVC services in the coming fiscal year, splitting a total of $1.7 million.

The commission’s income from fees, interest and other sources is budgeted at 46.7 per cent higher than in the current fiscal year, rising from $75,000 to $110,000.

Other income sources generally remained stable or rose slightly, with the exception of litigation insurance reimbursement, which totaled $40,000 in the current year but falls to zero in the new budget. 

Legal fees also fall by $150,000 in the new spending plan, while salaries and other payroll costs are up.

Also Thursday, commissioners finalized their written decision allowing the demolition and rebuilding of a house on Arlington avenue in Oak Bluffs, whose owners had filed suit against an earlier MVC denial before submitting a new plan.

Ben Robinson and Kate Putnam abstained from the vote and Doug Sederholm recused himself, citing a relative’s business contact with the homeowners. Other commissioners were unanimously in favor of signing the written decision.

The commission also opened and immediately continued public hearings on two applications for developments of regional interest (DRIs).

The hearing for a proposed housing development on Uncas avenue in Oak Bluffs will resume Feb. 15 and the Bangs subdivision in West Tisbury will return in March, said Mr. Sederholm, the commission’s hearings officer.

Both continuations are at the applicants’ request, Mr. Sederholm said.

Commission chair Fred Hancock opened Thursday’s meeting by forming a new subcommittee, called the future planning committee, to identify areas of regional planning the commission has overlooked.

Brian Smith will chair the new committee, whose other members are Greg Martino, Jeff Agnoli and Kate Putnam.

“We’re asking for a report back by the end of June,” Mr. Hancock said, adding that the four will have staff support as needed for their task.

Commissioners also heard a presentation from climate planner Liz Durkee, who said the MVC is in line for a $700,000 federal grant to aid the Island in becoming more resilient to climate change.

More than 850 agencies applied for the grant and the MVC is one of 120 who made it through the first round, Ms. Durkee said.

If awarded here, she said, the grant will fund a two and a half year pilot project focused on three areas: Vineyard Haven Harbor, State Beach in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and Menemsha in Chilmark.

“There’ll be a community engagement organizing committee [and] representatives are going to be paid for each town to be on committees that are going to work on … a design plan for these sites,” Ms. Durkee said.