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.
County Commissioners Face Decision On Three-Year Appointment to SSA
By JULIA WELLS Gazette Senior Writer
The Dukes County Commission faces a crucial battle this week that
will set the course for Island policy at the Steamship Authority in the
years ahead, as it prepares to appoint a Vineyard boat line governor at
a special meeting Wednesday night.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the community room of the Oak Bluffs
School.
The Dukes County Commission initiated a feud with the Martha's Vineyard Airport commissioners by voting unanimously Wednesday evening to devote 24.4 acres of land on airport grounds to a county jail and training facility for emergency personnel.
The Dukes County commissioners stalled again this week -
failing to resolve questions raised about newly hired county manager
Laurie Perry's college degree.
"I'm dismayed it's taken this long to resolve the
issue. It does sound like a broken record, but this will be resolved at
our next meeting. There isn't any more to talk about," said
John Alley, chairman of the county commission.
Steamship Authority chairman Marc Hanover was not looking for
support from the Dukes County Commission Wednesday in his continuing
battle with the Tisbury board of selectmen over ferry fee money. But he
got it anyway.
The sword of Damocles apparently will dangle a while longer over the
finances of Dukes County government.
The county commission tentatively had slated a meeting for tomorrow
with the finance advisory board to discuss strategy in what could be a
major legal judgment against the county. But county manager E. Winn
Davis said yesterday the meeting had been canceled.
The epic six-year battle over control of the Martha's Vineyard
Airport has ended not with a bang, but with the mailing of checks.
In the end, the court case at the center of the battle cost at least
$608,374 - in payments to the two airport managers who brought the
lawsuit and in legal fees charged by the attorneys.
The Dukes County commission is set to make a slew of appointments in early January, including the Vineyard representative to the Steamship Authority.
Marc Hanover, owner of Linda Jeans Restaurant in Oak Bluffs, has been the Vineyard boat line governor since 2005. The appointment is a three-year position.
Acting county manager Noreen Mavro Flanders said this week she expected Mr. Hanover to seek reappointment. Mr. Hanover was off-Island yesterday and could not be reached for comment.
It may not be the most controversial thing on the ballot, but the race for the Dukes County Commission is probably the most complicated.
There are three seats to fill; terms for John Alley of West Tisbury, Leonard Jason Jr. of Chilmark, and Roger Wey of Oak Bluffs are all ending. Mr. Wey is not seeking reelection.
Voters will see three names on the ballot when they vote Tuesday: John Alley, Leonard Jason and Linda Sibley, a former county commissioner from West Tisbury.
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.
