DeCosta And Vieth Elected To Select Board; Borgeson Defeats Rayport In Planning Board Race

New faces are coming to two of Nantucket’s key local boards, as Bob DeCosta and Jill Vieth won seats on the Select Board in Tuesday’s annual town election, while Brian Borgeson defeated Hillary Hedges Rayport in the Planning Board race.

Meanwhile, it was the incumbents who cruised to victory in the contested races for School Committee and Land Bank Commission. Dr. Tim Lepore and Shantaw Bloise-Murphy were reelected to the School Committee, while Neil Paterson won another term on the Land Bank.

Read on for the full results and a breakdown of the key contests.

Winning candidates are in italics.

Select Board

Bob DeCosta (write-in) 1919

Jill Vieth 1630

Clifford Williams: 1,161

Jill Vieth’s victory caps a lengthy quest to serve on the Select Board that began in 2019. This year, she has run on a platform that counsels fiscal caution, emphasizing her experience on the Finance Committee and Capital Program Committee. Vieth, who recommended against a new Our Island Home skilled nursing facility but supported public school athletic facilities improvements in her role as Finance Committee chair, has called for a disciplined approach to prioritizing spending as the town considers around $1 billion in capital projects over the next 10 years.

“Looking forward to serving the town,” Vieth wrote in a brief statement to the Current.

Vieth’s victory could also be significant for the Select Board’s upcoming appointments to the Board of Health: Vieth is a staunch supporter of a Nantucket Public School plan to install an artificial turf playing field at Vito Capizzo Stadium, and may be inclined to vote against incumbents who have suggested implementing bans or strict testing requirements on turf.

For Bob DeCosta, Tuesday’s results mark a return to the island’s top executive board, which he previously served on for two terms. Like the other candidates, DeCosta has said he aims to keep spending in check. He has also focused on the town’s coastal resiliency plan and his own experience as a commercial fisherman. DeCosta’s win is a rare victory for a write-in candidate in a contested election.

“[I’m] overwhelmed by the voters’ support,” DeCosta said. “Now the work begins.”

Planning Board

Brian Borgeson: 1,457

Hillary Hedges Rayport: 1,354

The man who ended Nantucket’s short-term rental stalemate will now serve on the island’s Planning Board. Charter boat captain Brian Borgeson, who first entered Nantucket’s political scene last fall when he sponsored a citizen’s warrant article calling a Special Town Meeting devoted to short-term rentals, has defeated outspoken island planning critic Hillary Hedges Rayport. Borgeson sponsored an effort to secure the full legalization of short-term rentals island-wide, which became Article 1 on the Special Town Meeting ballot. That article passed 1045 - 421, ending a divisive stalemate on the issue that had gripped the island for years. Borgeson has focused his campaign on his long Nantucket residency and has called for greater efficiency and responsiveness from local government.

“I want to say congratulations to Hillary [Hedges Rayport] for running a great campaign. She is definitely very knowledgeable and a great candidate, and I’m very happy and proud to have beat her,” Borgeson told the Current. “[These results show] the people that I talk to and the locals that I talk to show up for me and believe in me.”

School Committee

Tim Lepore: 1,677

Shantaw Bloise-Murphy: 1,347

Jennie Cook: 1,227

Heidi Fee: 993

Shantaw Bloise-Murphy, the School Committee’s current vice chair and the town’s director of culture and tourism, has won re-election. Bloise-Murphy voted in favor of a planned artificial turf field and has stressed the importance of student mental health, vocational education, and the housing crisis that has made it difficult to hire and retain teachers in recent years.

Tim Lepore, a longtime island physician and tick expert, has successfully defended his seat after casting the only School Committee vote against the inclusion of an artificial turf playing field in an athletic complex renovation plan. Lepore, who has served on the School Committee for over 35 years, has raised concerns about flagging enrollment in the island’s public schools and the deteriorating condition of the elementary school.

Land Bank

Neil Paterson: 2,051

Graham Veysey: 784

Neil Paterson, an established long-time incumbent, has staved off a challenge from Graham Veysey, who ran on a platform advocating that the Land Bank expand its focus in the community, particularly by developing indoor recreational facilities. Paterson has stressed his track record, experience, and willingness to listen to alternative perspectives. He has expressed strong skepticism of the idea of indoor recreation, citing its potential high cost, but has said he would be willing to consider a partnership to create a facility if there was strong interest.

Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board

Peter Brace: 2,267

Kevin Korn: 1,052

Matt Peel: 862

Nantucket Board of Water Commissioners

Curtis Barnes: 1,535

Nelson “Snooky” Eldridge: 1,853

Michael Egan: 1,121

UNCONTESTED ELECTIONS:

Historic District Commission

Ray Pohl: 2,060

Val Oliver: 2,410

Nantucket Housing Authority

Beth Ann Meehan: 2,468

Town Moderator

Sarah Alger: 2,728