Aquinnah voters will decide a two-way select board race at next week’s annual town election.
Incumbent Thomas Murphy seeks to return for a second term and is facing off against Jannette Vanderhoop at the May 16 election.
Both candidates responded to the questions emailed to them by the Gazette. Their answers, lightly edited for clarity, style and length, appear below.
The town election will be held from noon to 8 p.m. at Aquinnah town hall.
Thomas Murphy
Occupation: Attorney and governing board member of several national companies.
Current or previous town board service or other relevant roles: member of the select board (three years), current chair, lighthouse committee member (six years), finance committee member (six years), planning board (six years), veteran service officer (nine years), veteran housing project committee (three years)
What encouraged you to run for select board? I wish to continue the work I began three years ago to increase revenue, complete repairs to town properties and complete contract negotiations with our police and other entities.
What is the most critical issue for Aquinnah? We have substantial financial challenges due to the small size of our town and tax base. A large percentage of land in Aquinnah is tax exempt. Our 2025 budget, $7.2 million, increased by 11.2 per cent. This increase creates a burden on our most vulnerable residents who struggle to pay their property taxes. The majority of our costs, 90 per cent, (school, ambulance, police etc.) are outside our control. We must be careful and intentional in managing the 10 per cent we control.
What efforts need to be made to address this issue? We currently generate approximately $700,000 in non-tax revenue from parking and beach fees, Lighthouse and Vanderhoop Homestead event rentals and town permits that were recently increased. Much more is needed. Netflix filming and the Jaws anniversary events are worth pursuing. I have also recommended engaging the services of a grant writer to pursue funding opportunities for shore erosion, beach access, septic upgrades, and town building repairs to save taxpayers some of those expenses.
Why should residents vote for you? I don’t have a learning curve. I have demonstrated my care for our community through my commitment and involvement over the past nine years. My decades-long background in the law, and service on governing boards has given me the knowledge and experience required to respond to the variety and complexity of challenges facing our town.
Jannette Vanderhoop
Occupation: I have my own gardening business and I’m an artist. I also am an educator and will be starting a walking tour this summer through the Aquinnah Cultural Center which I am a board member for.
Current or previous town board service or other relevant roles: I ran the Wampanoag tribe’s turtle camp in college, I ran the Aquinnah Cultural Center for three years when the museum opened, and started our renowned native artists market. I was on the board for Adult Community Education (ACE MV) when it was getting started. I currently sit on the board of directors for the Aquinnah Cultural Center.
What encouraged you to run for select board? I have been saying for the past year that I would run for select board and feel that it is important for Wampanoag people to be present and engaged in Aquinnah town politics. I hope to see Aquinnah grow in a sustainable way. I was an environmental major in college and did some work this winter with the climate action committee. I will be sitting on the panel discussion for the climate fair on May 19. I am really trying to use my expertise and experience to create programs to teach others how to be environmental stewards. My MO is to “teach people to respect nature through art” and I do this in all the hats I wear- as a gardener, as a sustainable artist, as a mother and as an educator.
What is the most critical issue for Aquinnah? The most critical issue in Aquinnah is the cost of land. Property values have skyrocketed making it hard for islanders, especially Wampanoag people in Aquinnah, to retain our land as taxes have risen.
What efforts need to be made to address this issue? I would like to see a combination of creative solutions to address this issue, including creating more tourism at our end of the Island that highlights and celebrates Wampanoag presence, contributions and continuity. Following the recommendations of the Affordable Homes Act which would allow us to be designated a seasonal community where year rounders could apply for tax abatements and seasonal people would be encouraged to rent accessory dwellings. This designation would allow us to apply for more grants. I would like to see the town and tribe work together to acquire state grants to achieve common goals. I encourage the recognition and growth of the “cultural district” at the circle and would be excited to create new economic opportunities for businesses there. I am interested in continuing discussions to create an overlay mixed use district at the town’s central corridor to allow for more commerce and affordable housing.
Why should residents vote for you? Town folks should vote for me because I love this town. I was born and raised here. My first job at 14 years old was working at the cliffs T-shirt shop, then Berta and Carla’s shop at the cliffs, then the beach parking lot, then with tribal kids, then at the cultural center museum. So I’ve worked in town my whole life. I am a steward of this land – most of my gardening clients are in Aquinnah and Chilmark so I actively have my hands in the earth here everyday. I care about the future of this land and who lays claim to it and how they treat it for the future. I am the kind of leader that has a lot of energy and ideas. And I am happy to give all my ideas away. I don’t need or want recognition, I like to see things getting done. I just want to see my ideas implemented. I have a greater vision for Aquinnah and it is not just keeping an eye on the bottom line. It’s about creating and maintaining the community that has always been here and has always made this place special.
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