Abandoning Draft Pact, Town, Tribe Call Summit
By IAN FEIN
Town and tribal officials in Aquinnah this week agreed to set aside a preliminary but controversial document that had outlined an unusual joint land use regulatory venture. The two governments will instead start anew and work together in an open forum to set out mutual goals for their small town at the western edge of the Island.
Property Tax Bills Out, Also Up in Four of Six Vineyard Towns
By IAN FEIN
Property tax bills are out - and up - in four of the six Island towns. But property owners in Edgartown and West Tisbury will not see their new assessments or tax bills for another few months, as town assessors work to determine values in the wake of previous appeals from large landowners.
West Tisbury Voters Acquiesce on Bills
By IAN FEIN
West Tisbury voters at a special town meeting this week reversed their previous opposition and agreed to pay $150,000 in legal bills associated with the Graham property tax case against town assessors. The vote came almost exactly two months after a town meeting where voters rejected payment.
West Tisbury Voters Convene Tuesday
By IAN FEIN
Two months after receiving a sharp rebuke from town voters, West Tisbury selectmen will go back to the well on Tuesday for another special town meeting to take up many of the same issues.
Front and center will be $170,000 in legal bills from the costly tax case against town assessors, which a record turnout of voters rejected at the special town meeting in November.
Town Finance Board Sharpens Opposition to Tax Case Bills
By IAN FEIN
On the eve of a pivotal town meeting, the West Tisbury finance committee this week sharpened its opposition to payment of legal bills linked to the Graham property tax case amid a widening swath of questions about the roles and responsibilities of town assessors and selectmen.
Town-Tribe Pact Aired in Public
Government Leaders Discuss Origins of Proposed Agreement for Land Use Review Process, Schedule Comment Sessions
By IAN FEIN
Days after news surfaced about an untested regulatory venture proposed between the town of Aquinnah and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), town and tribal leaders this week shed light on its origins and scheduled a series of public meetings to review the draft agreement.