Vote for the Community Preservation Act
Historic Preservation, Open Space and Affordable Housing Opportunities at Stake in Massachusetts Elections
In upcoming municipal elections in Massachusetts on April 7th,8th, 12th, and 14th, 2008, voters in the communities of Seekonk, South Hadley, Stoughton, West Bridgewater and Granville will have an opportunity to adopt an exciting and useful tool for protecting our natural and cultural heritage – the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The Community Preservation Act supports local open space conservation, historic preservation, affordable housing, and the development of outdoor recreational facilities by instituting a small surcharge on local property tax bills. The citizens of these communities will be voting to add a small surcharge (varying from 1% to 3%) to property taxes for the purpose of creating a local Community Preservation Fund and qualifying for state matching funds.
So far, 127 communities in Massachusetts have adopted the CPA and have used the program to successfully acquire, create and preserve open space and land for recreational uses, to acquire and preserve historic buildings and landscapes, and to create, preserve and support affordable housing. A database of the projects which have been funded in part by the CPA can be found on the Community Preservation Coalition's website.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation supports the CPA because of its potential to protect our precious historic assets in Massachusetts. We urge Massachusetts voters to head to the polls on April 7, 8th, 12th and 14th and do the following:
April 7th
- Seekonk Voters - Vote Yes On Question # 2 the Community Preservation Act.
- South Hadley Voters - Vote Yes On Question # 1 the Community Preservation Act.
April 8th
- Stoughton Voters - Vote Yes on Question #2 - The Community Preservation Act
April 12th
- West Bridgewater Voters - Vote Yes on Question #1 - The Community Preservation Act
April 14th
- Granville Voters - Vote Yes on Question #1 - The Community Preservation Act
