On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the Tisbury select board became the latest—and final—Island town to weigh in on a contentious piece of state legislation that could reshape the leadership of the region’s vital ferry service. The board voted 2-1 to support a bill that would set term limits for members of the Steamship Authority (SSA) board, a move that has sparked debate across Martha’s Vineyard and neighboring port communities.
The legislation, known as Bill S.2305, was refiled in January by state Senator Dylan Fernandes, who represents Falmouth. If passed, it would restrict SSA board members to no more than three consecutive three-year terms—a significant change, considering some board members have served for more than a dozen years. The bill, currently awaiting a hearing date before the state senate’s transportation committee, would mark the first alteration to the ferry line’s enabling act since 2002, according to reporting from The Martha’s Vineyard Times.
The push for term limits has been driven in part by the Steamship Authority Citizens’ Action Group, which spent months rallying support among Island town boards. Their campaign intensified from mid-July to early August, urging each select board to send a letter backing the bill. Advocates argue that term limits are necessary to bring fresh ideas, foster transparency, and break up longstanding voting blocs—specifically those representing Nantucket, Barnstable, and New Bedford. “It’s not about Martha’s Vineyard. It’s about a board we are deeply impacted by,” said Beth O’Connor, a founding member of the group, during Tisbury’s select board meeting.
The results of the campaign have been mixed. Aquinnah and West Tisbury’s select boards joined Tisbury in supporting the legislation, while Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Chilmark opted not to. The Dukes County Commissioners, who appoint the Vineyard’s representative to the SSA board, also unanimously voted in favor of sending a letter of support. Falmouth’s select board, for its part, unanimously backed the bill in June. However, New Bedford’s mayor had not yet made a decision as of early August, and the representatives from Barnstable and Nantucket were not immediately available for comment.
Supporters of the bill, like Tisbury select board chair Christina Colarusso, see term limits as a way to inject new energy and expertise into the Steamship Authority’s leadership. Colarusso, who has a maritime background, didn’t mince words about the need for change. “The buildings and the ships are not being run properly, built properly or maintained properly,” she stated at the Tisbury meeting, as reported by The Vineyard Gazette. She also highlighted that many municipal representatives on the SSA board lack maritime experience, and suggested that the Vineyard feels the strain of Steamship operations more acutely than other communities. “They don’t feel it like we feel it because they’re the golden child,” she said, referring to Nantucket’s perceived privileged status within the Authority’s structure.
Colarusso further underscored the importance of effective leadership in maritime settings. “Leadership is a very interesting thing,” she remarked. “On a ship, when you’re at the mercy, absolute mercy, of a captain, all those lessons in leadership [are] being paid in blood.” She even hinted that she might send her own letter of support if the town’s official version felt too watered down.
Christine Todd, chair of the Dukes County Commissioners, echoed the sentiment that term limits are simply good governance. “We just felt in general it was very good business practice,” Todd told the Oak Bluffs select board on July 8. She indicated that the commission was also considering term limits for its own members.
But not everyone is convinced that term limits are the answer. John Cahill, the lone dissenting vote on Tisbury’s select board and a member of the SSA Port Council, warned that imposing term limits could backfire. “We would be giving up our flexibility by allowing term limits. It leaves us vulnerable,” Cahill argued, noting that it’s not always easy to find strong candidates to replace successful incumbents who are forced out by term restrictions. He also expressed concern about dictating policy to other port communities. “I don’t disagree with you on the term limits, just not the way we’re going about it,” Cahill told action group members, according to The Martha’s Vineyard Times.
Similar worries were voiced in other towns. Edgartown select board member Art Smadbeck cautioned against “tying our hands,” while Oak Bluffs Port Council representative Joe Sollitto argued that dissatisfied residents could simply vote out county commissioners at the ballot box. “I just think it’s bad politics and I think the county commissioners are aggregating their responsibility as county commissioners,” Sollitto said.
Some officials also worried that opening up the SSA’s enabling act to change could invite further, potentially unwanted amendments from the state legislature. Others objected to the idea of one town or Island imposing its will on other port communities, preferring that such decisions be made locally rather than mandated from above.
The debate also highlighted the unique challenges faced by the Vineyard compared to other communities served by the Steamship Authority. Colarusso pointed out that Nantucket, for example, relies less heavily on the ferry system and thus may not share the same frustrations as Vineyard residents. This disparity has fueled calls for a leadership shakeup to “break up the monopoly” and ensure the Authority better reflects the needs of all its constituents.
Despite the passionate arguments on both sides, the fate of Bill S.2305 remains uncertain. With some towns and key officials still undecided, and the bill awaiting a hearing in the state senate, it’s unclear whether term limits for the SSA board will become law—or if the debate will simply fade into the background, as so many local political skirmishes do.
For now, the issue has laid bare the deep divisions—and shared frustrations—that define the relationship between Martha’s Vineyard, its ferry service, and the broader network of port communities. Whether term limits are ultimately enacted or not, the conversation has already prompted a fresh look at how the Steamship Authority operates and who gets to steer its course.
As the bill moves forward, Islanders and their neighbors will be watching closely to see whether a new era of leadership is on the horizon—or if the status quo will prevail for yet another term.
