Faced with a near-certain fiscal crisis due to pressure from state officials and political maneuverings on Beacon Hill, Dukes County Sheriff Michael McCormack has quietly agreed to trade his independence for a state takeover of his department.

Two weeks ago, Sheriff McCormack joined with the sheriffs of Barnstable, Norfolk and Plymouth counties to back an amendment to Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed 2009 budget that would place the four sheriffs and their employees under control of the commonwealth.

The Dukes County Sheriff’s office expects to see a $620,000 shortfall this year.

The news comes just days after Sheriff Michael A. McCormack learned the state is refusing to send its annual supplementary funding for the county corrections facility.

On April 1, Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan sent Sheriff McCormack a letter of notification. Supplementary funding from the state amounts to nearly 20 per cent of the sheriff’s annual budget.

The Dukes County Charter Study Commission will host three public sessions across the Vineyard this month. The commissioners are inviting members of the Island community to come and participate in their continuing discussion of county government.

The Chilmark shellfish industry can expect a bumper 2008 scallop season and a broader revitalization, given the early successes of its experimental shellfish propagation program launched last summer, town selectmen heard Tuesday.

The town’s shellfish propagation officer, Isaiah Scheffer, presented selectmen with a 34-page report of his work to date.

For the second time in five months, the Dukes County commission has named finalists in the ongoing search for county manager. They are F. Tenney Lantz of South Dartmouth and Russell H. Smith of Aquinnah.

After ticking off minor business items in a meeting Thursday afternoon, the commission went into executive session to discuss applicants for county manager.