Nantucket committee to draft final report after narrow votes on government change

The Town Government Study Committee voted to have its chair draft a final report summarizing the panel’s work and next steps after recent nonbinding votes on switching Nantucket from open town meeting to a town council form of government failed to win broad support.

The report will summarize the committee’s research, include two draft charters the group prepared and recommend how future efforts might proceed, committee members said. Committee chair Joe (committee chair) told members, “I’ll do the draft and then we’ll see,” and said he would aim to circulate a draft in three to four weeks.

The decision follows committee and public discussion about why voters rejected the change in separate nonbinding votes held at town meeting and on the election ballot. Lucy (committee member and opposition lead) said she was “disappointed that we didn’t have something for the public,” adding that the committee’s work lacked a single, easily accessible product for voters to review. Anthony (Collins Center representative) said the group’s finished documents could help: “Publishing…those documents may, actually be helpful in the future,” he said.

Committee members repeatedly cited outreach and education as the main reasons the question did not carry. Speakers described a pattern in which many residents view open town meeting as a tradition they value, and some feared losing direct control over zoning and other local land-use decisions. Several members pointed to longer, multi‑year public campaigns in other Massachusetts towns — including Amherst and Bridgewater — that preceded changes in government form.

Members considered whether future efforts should remain tied to the town’s Select Board or be pursued as a citizen-led initiative. Several speakers recommended a citizen-sponsored warrant article rather than a Select Board-sponsored article to avoid the perception that the executive branch is dissolving the legislative body. Committee discussion concluded that the committee should “wrap up this phase” by producing a report to the Select Board and that any future campaign to place a binding article before town meeting should be citizen-led and accompanied by a sustained outreach plan.

At the meeting, a motion that the chair draft and circulate a final report was made and seconded; the motion passed. Two committee members were recorded by name voting yes: Owen Bailin (yes) and Caroline (yes). Multiple other members said “Aye” during the roll call. The committee chair said he would attach the two draft charters as appendices and return the report to the Select Board for review.

Members also discussed near-term practical steps: identifying the original funding source for the committee’s work, clarifying whether funding remains available, and deciding whether the committee should continue under Select Board appointment or reorganize as an independent citizen group. Several members said they expect more work will be required if proponents intend to restart the effort, including deciding whether to form a PAC or similar organizing vehicle and committing to a longer outreach timeline.

The committee agreed to meet again if members want to revise the draft report after circulation. The chair said he would prepare the first draft and circulate it to the group for edits. The committee then moved to adjourn.