2023 Annual Town Meeting Primer
Jason Graziadei •
Welcome To Nantucket Current's 2023 Annual Town Meeting Primer
The island's legislative body - its registered voters - will gather on Saturday, May 6, for Nantucket's annual exercise in democracy: the Annual Town Meeting. Here's what you need to know and some helpful links and opinions on what we'll be voting on this year.
Where: 10 Surfside Road, Nantucket High School auditorium, overflow in the gym
When: Saturday, May 6th, 8:30 a.m. sharp, check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.
Child care: No child care on site, but the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club is extending its hours on Saturday and will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Need to know: No food or drink is allowed inside the auditorium, execpt water. There will be a 45 minute lunch break, so pack a bag lunch to eat outside of the auditorium. Some snacks will be available for purchase.
2023 Annual Town Meeting Warrant with Finance Committee Recommendations
This year's warrant includes the following: a total of 105 articles on a range of topics including spending proposals, new bylaws, zoning changes, real estate matters, and citizen petitions. Here's the breakdown:
- Zoning: 32
- General bylaw: 7
- Real estate: 12
- Home rule petitions: 11 (four of which are re-submittals)
- Citizen petitions: 26 citizen
Helpful links:
Warrant articles that require subsequent ballot approval at the annual town election on May 23:
Article 10 | Ballot Question 5 - (Appropriation: General Fund Capital Expenditures)
Article 11 | Ballot Question 1 - (Supplemental Appropriation: Surfside Area Roads Reconstruction and Transportation Improvements)
Article 13 | Question 2 - (Supplemental Appropriation: Landfill Closure Costs)
Article 14 | Question 3 – (Supplemental Appropriation: Wauwinet Road Shared Use Path)
Article 15 | Question 4 - (Appropriation: Nobadeer Playing Fields Complex - Field Addition; Associated Renovations to Adjacent Fields; Site Enhancements)
Article 18 | Question 6 – (Appropriation: Affordable Housing Trust Fund)
Article 21 | Question 7 - (Appropriation: Fiscal Year 2024 Enterprise Funds Operations)
Article 60 - Short-Term Rental Restrictions
Article 60 - a proposed zoning regulation to limit short-term rentals on Nantucket - has been hotly debated for months now ahead of Saturday's Annual Town Meeting. The article is sponsored by island resident Emmy Kilvert, and has received support from the political action group ACK Now.
Supporters: Homeowners For Article 60 & ACK Now
Opponents: Nantucket Together & The Alliance To Protect Nantucket's Economy
- Town Counsel has expressed reservations about the citizen petition.
- Read the numerous letters to the editor Nantucket Current has received about the warrant article.
- The Nantucket Land Council has endorsed Article 60.
- A letter sent by Homeowners for Article 60 stirred a larger debate on the legality of short-term rentals on Nantucket.
Other resources and information:
The Nantucket Civic League's "Meet The Articles" forum:
And read island resident Jim Lydon's opposition:
