Nantucket Current's 2025 Annual Town Meeting Primer

Welcome To Nantucket Current's 2025 Annual Town Meeting Primer

The island's legislative body - its registered voters - will gather on the morning of Saturday, May 3, 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's Mary P. Walker auditorium, overflow in the gym. Seating is first come, first served.

When: Saturday, May 3rd, 8:30 a.m. sharp, check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.

Need to know: No food or drink is allowed inside the auditorium, except water. A 30-minute lunch break will take place at midday at the Moderator’s discretion. During the lunch break, the Friends of Nantucket Public Schools will sell hot dogs, chips, and drinks in the NHS Cafeteria for those who have not packed a lunch. In addition, one or more food trucks will be parked in the rear lot of the NHS/CPS Complex. 

Helpful links:

• Town Meeting Warrant With Finance Committee Motions
• Town of Nantucket Voters Guide
• Tax Rate Calculator (to determine the tax rate impact for the debt and capital exclusions based on individual properties’ values)
• Nantucket Land & Water Council warrant article recommendations

Nantucket Civic League's "Meet The Articles" Forum:

Ask The Moderator: Town Meeting Explained

Article 10: General Fund Capital Expenditures

Article 10 proposes a $1.56 million appropriation to replace aging vehicles, upgrade equipment, and enhance public safety infrastructure across town departments. Key investments include:

• Department of Public Works: Replacing critical vehicles and equipment essential for snow removal, emergency response, and daily operations.
• Fire Department: Installing additional heating in the apparatus bay to protect medical supplies; replacing the Fire Prevention Officer’s vehicle.
• Public Schools: Upgrading the security camera system to improve campus safety.

If approved at Town Meeting, it would also require approval as ballot question five on the annual town election ballot on May 20th.

Article 11: Town Employee Housing Design, Owner’s Project Manager, and Construction Costs

Article 11 proposes funding to design and construct new town employee housing at a town-owned property on Waitt Drive. The project includes:

• Three single-family homes and three duplexes - up to 20 bedrooms of year-round workforce housing.

This appropriation would also covers design, permitting, project management, and construction costs. If approved at Town Meeting, it would also require approval as ballot question four on the annual town election ballot on May 20th. 

Article 12: Supplemental Appropriation For Public Works Facility Improvements - Design

Article 12 seeks supplemental funding to design a new Department of Public Works (DPW) facility to replace the town’s current facility. It also includes space for a new shooting and archery range for the Nantucket Hunting Association. The project is the result of several years of planning following a 2017 assessment of the DPW’s operational needs and a 2018 Town Meeting appropriation for feasibility and design work.

If approved at Town Meeting, it would also require approval as ballot question one on the annual town election ballot on May 20th.

Read the town's case for the new DPW facility

Article 13 - Appropriation: New Our Island Home Nursing Facility

The town is seeking approval for a $126 million appropriation to fund the construction of a new Our Island Home skilled nursing facility off South Shore Road. It would be the town's largest capital project in island history. The appropriation will fund the construction of a 60,000-square-foot, 45-bed new nursing facility at the Sherburne Commons campus off South Shore Road complete with enclosed courtyards and photovoltaic solar arrays. 

If approved at Town Meeting, it would also require approval as ballot question two on the annual town election ballot on May 20th.

Read more about the Finance Committee's deliberations on the project here.

Article 14 - Supplemental Appropriation: Tom Nevers Road Bike Path

Tom Nevers Road is frequently used by cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike, but it lacks a dedicated bike path. Article 14 proposes a $6.85 million appropriation to fund the design and construction of a new bike path along this corridor. The project aims to improve safety and promote active non-vehicular modes of transportation such as biking and walking. If approved, the funding would support:

• Design and permitting
• Easement acquisition
• Construction and related costs

  If approved at Town Meeting, it would also require approval as ballot question three on the annual town election ballot on May 20th.