Latest CPA News

Click here for an updated list of CPA communities, recent election results, and upcoming votes!

April 7, 2009 - Two new towns adopt CPA!

Voters in Seekonk and Rehoboth endorsed CPA at municipal elections held on April 6, 2009. This brings the total number of CPA communities to 142, and shows that even in a down economy, voters in Massachusetts see the importance of community preservation.

March 20, 2009 - MA DOR issues updated CPA match projections for October 2009.

The DOR issued a bulletin today revising its earlier 35% CPA match projection down to 29% (for the first round of the distribution), due to the reduction in revenues flowing to the state's Community Preservation Trust Fund. The DOR also issued the results of its biennial revision of the community decile rankings in this bulletin. For more information, and to download the DOR's spreadsheet of Community Preservation Decile Rankings, click here.

February 25, 2009 - Seekonk and Rehoboth residents working to adopt CPA mount successful petition campaigns.

Residents of two neighboring southeastern Massachusetts communities - Seekonk and Rehoboth - have recently completed successful initiative petition campaigns to place CPA on their spring town election ballots. Seekonk residents will be voting on implementing a 1.25% CPA surcharge, while Rehoboth residents will be voting on a 1% CPA surcharge. Exemptions to the surcharge would be available for all low income families and low- and mooderate-income seniors in both communities, while the first $100,000 in residential property value would also be exempt in Seekonk. Seekonk residents have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. To access this website, click on the following link: www.cpaseekonk.org.

January 21, 2009 - " An Act to Sustain Community Preservation" filed on Beacon Hill.

The new legislative session began last week, and state Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton) has re-filed CPA legislation that seeks to stabilize the state's CPA Trust Fund and make other improvements to the Community Preservation Act. Representative Stephen Kulik (D-Worthington) has signed on as the lead sponsor in the House. For more information, read the bill summary, the text of the legislation and the Coalition's press release.

December 8, 2008 - Middleborough residents working to adopt CPA launch campaign website.

Residents of Middleborough, Massachusetts who are working for CPA adoption have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. Check out this new website at the following link: http://cpanow.org

November 5, 2008 - CPA ballot measures pass in 7 out of 8 communities on historic election day, 2008.

Voters in seven new communities approved CPA ballot measures yesterday, including in the cities of Gloucester and West Springfield, and the towns of Northfield, Royalston, Shutesbury, Swansea, and Whately. This brought the total number of CPA communities to 140 statewide. Voters in Amherst chose not to increase that community's CPA surcharge from 1.5% to 3%, after approving an increase from 1% to 1.5% two years ago. For vote tallies in each of these communities, click here.

October 24, 2008 - Supreme Judicial Court Issues Ruling on Newton CPA Recreation Lawsuit.

Today the state's Supreme Judicial Court issued its decision in the case Jeffrey Seideman & others vs. City of Newton, a lawsuit concerning a proposed CPA recreation project in Newton. At issue was the city's desire to use CPA funds for work at two existing parks that were not created or acquired with CPA funds. The state's highest court upheld a lower court's decision in favor of the plaintiff. To read the entire decision in this case, click on the following link: www.sociallaw.com/slip.htm?cid=18568&sid=120 .

October 20, 2008 - Amherst residents supporting a proposed CPA surcharge increase launch campaign website.

A group of Amherst citizens supporting an increase in the community's CPA surcharge from 1.5% to 3% have launched an informational website on how this change can benefit their town. To view the website, click on the following link: www.cpaYes.org

October 15, 2008 - CPA Annual Matching Funds Distributed to 127 Communities.

Today the Department of Revenue released the Community Preservation Trust Fund disbursements for each CPA municipality. In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 44B, Section 10, the Commissioner of Revenue annually disperses monies from the fund in mid-October to cities and towns that have adopted the CPA. This year's distribution bulletin also included an estimate for the percentage match CPA communities can expect in October 2009.

Click here for the MA Department of Revenue's distribution spreadsheet and specifics on the disbursements.

October 8, 2008 - Gloucester residents working to adopt CPA launch campaign website.

Residents of Gloucester Massachusetts who are working for CPA passage have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. Check out this great new website at the following link: preservegloucester.org .

September 23, 2008 - Registration now open for Northeast Massachusetts regional CPA conference

The Community Preservation Coalition invites all communities in northeastern Massachusetts to join us for our upcoming CPA conference, to be held at the Essex Agricultural and Technical High School in Danvers on Saturday, November 1st, 2008, from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

For more information about the conference and conference registration, contact Katherine Roth at 617-367-8998 or at the following email address: katherine.roth@communitypreservation.org

August 21, 2008 - DCR to offer two Heritage Landscape Inventory Planning information sessions to Western Mass communities

DCR’s Heritage Landscape Inventory Program is Coming to selected communities in the Connecticut River Valley. Two information sessions have been scheduled,  Friday, Sept 5th, 9am to 10:30 a.m. at the Westfield Athenaeum Library and on Tuesday, Sept 9th, 5:30pm to 7 p.m. at Greenfield Community College, Downtown Center. The following CPA communities are eligible to apply to participate:  Agawam, Amherst, Belchertown, Deerfield, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Hadley, Hampden, Hatfield, Leverett, Longmeadow, Monson, Northampton, Southampton, Southwick, Westfield, and Wilbraham. (Other non-CPA area communities may also be eligible to apply). To learn how your community can apply to participate in the Heritage Landscape Inventory Program’s Connecticut River Valley Reconnaissance Survey, please consider attending one of our two informational workshops. Please RSVP to DCR Preservation Planner Jessica Rowcroft at 617-626-1380 or jessica.rowcroft@state.ma.us by Wednesday, September 3rd, if you plan to attend either workshop.

August 19, 2008 - DOR Releases Bulletin on New Online Community Preservation Initiatives Report (Online CP-3 Form)

tin today, Bulletin 2008 08B, which outlines new annual reporting requirements for communities that have adopted the Community Preservation Act. According to Bulletin 2008 08B, communities must now submit an online report detailing all approved CPA projects in order to receive their matching funds from the statewide CPA Trust Fund.  CPA projects must be entered by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) in a new online CPA database prior to September 15th, in order for the community to receive its matching funds on October 15th each year. CPCs should identify a point person to complete the form.

July 24, 2008 - Residents of two Massachusetts cities will vote on CPA on election day, November 4, 2008.

The Gloucester City Council voted last night to put CPA before Gloucester voters on election day this fall, after the measure was narrowly defeated during last fall's municipal election. Residents supporting passage of CPA there believe that the confusing placement of the CPA ballot question on the ballot at last fall's election may have led to its defeat. Meanwhile, the West Springfield Town Council voted earlier in the week to place the CPA question before voters there (West Springfield, known as the Town of West Springfield, has a city form of government). This will be West Springfield voters' first opportunity to vote on CPA.

May 28, 2008 - Residents of Swansea working for adoption of the CPA launch new website.

Residents of the southeastern Massachusetts community of Swansea working for CPA passage have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. Check out this great new website at http://cpsc.swanseamass.org

May 27, 2008 - Plympton, Hanson, and Becket all adopt CPA in spring elections, raising the tally of CPA communities to 133 statewide.

In a successful day for CPA, residents of the communities of Plympton, Hanson, and Becket recently voted by wide majorities to accept the Community Preservation Act. All three communities voted on Saturday, May 17th, and all chose to adopt the Act with local CPA surcharges of 1.5%. At the same time, communities are beginning to line up to vote on CPA in the fall: the communites of Shutesbury, Royalston, and Swansea have all recently voted to place CPA on the ballot for the November 4th, 2008 election.

April 15, 2008 - Two more communities adopt the CPA, bringing the total number of CPA communities to 130 statewide.

Residents in the communities of West Bridgewater and Granville voted to adopt the CPA in municipal elections held on April 12th and April 14th, respectively. CPA passed by wide margins in both communities - 61% of voters approved passage of CPA in West Bridgewater, while 68% of voters in Granville approved adoption of the CPA.

April 14, 2008 - Residents of Hanson working for adoption of the CPA launch new website.

Residents of the southeastern Massachusetts community of Hanson working for CPA passage have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. Check out this great new website at www.preservehanson.org .

April 9, 2008 - Stoughton passes CPA, becomes the 128th CPA community!

Stoughton residents supporting passage of CPA were successful in their bid to adopt the Act locally yesterday. Voters there passed the local option state law with 1,932 yes votes cast versus 1,850 no votes, during the town's municipal election held on April 8th. On the previous day, April 7th, voters in Seekonk and South Hadley had rejected the CPA.

March 31, 2008 - Seekonk residents working to adopt CPA launch campaign website.

Residents of the southeastern Massachusetts community of Seekonk working for CPA passage have developed and launched an informational website on how CPA can benefit their community. Check out this great new website at www.cpaseekonk.org.

March 26, 2008 - Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) issues FY2009 CPA Trust Fund Projection

For the first time in the seven-year history of the CPA, it is anticipated that the statewide CPA Trust Fund will have insufficient revenue to issue a 100% match to CPA communities in FY09. Today, the DOR issued the following information on the trust fund match in their FY2009 Budget Issues and Procedures Bulletin (#2008-04B):

Community Preservation Fund
There are 127 cities and towns that have adopted the Community Preservation Act and are eligible for state matching grants in FY09. As a result of decreasing collections of fees at the Registry of Deeds and the increased number of communities participating in the program, the Division estimates that the balance in the state trust fund will be sufficient to provide a first round match of approximately 65 percent of the surcharge levied by each city and town. This will trigger a second round or equity distribution for those communities that have adopted the maximum three percent surcharge. With the equity distribution, the total state reimbursement for qualifying communities will increase to between roughly 66 percent and 100 percent, depending on the community's quartile and total surcharge amount (see below).  Please note that these estimates are subject to change if Registry collections decline further between now and September.

The state matching grants for FY2010 are projected to be considerably lower than the FY09 forecasted percentage given the downward trend in Registry fees and the expected balance in the state fund after the FY09 state match and equity distributions are paid in October of 2008.

There are 71 communities that have adopted CPA with a 3% surcharge, and those communities will receive additional funds from second/third rounds of the trust fund distribution. Each of the 71 communities are ranked according to the formula contained in the Act for these additional rounds. In the bulletin, the DOR provided a spreadsheet showing the decile ranking for all communities in the state.

Click here to access the CPA Trust Fund decile rankings

The Community Preservation Coalition will be providing additional information on the trust fund distribution in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, CPA Update , due to be released March 28, 2008.

March 3, 2008 - Need help with CPA housing?

The Community Preservation Coalition recently assisted in the creation of a guidebook on using CPA funding for community housing projects. The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP) and Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) led the group effort to create this important CPA resource. To obtain a copy click here. Please Note: This is a large .pdf (3.3mb).

January 23, 2008- Andover first to vote during Spring CPA Election Season

Eleven Massachusetts communities are scheduled to vote on CPA this spring, with Andover first on the ballot for March 25th. The community has set up a website, www.andovercpa.org, to provide information on what CPA will mean for Andover. For a list of the other eleven towns voting on CPA, go to http://www.communitypreservation.org/CPAVotes.cfm.

November 15, 2007- Registration for CPA and Affordable Housing Workshops Now Open

The Community Preservation Coalition has been working with CHAPA (Citizens Housing and Planning Association) and MHP (Massachusetts Housing Partnership) to help CPA communities learn more about affordable housing development. A workshop on CPA and affordable housing will be offered by MHP and CHAPA in two different locations - November 29, 2007 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon in Northampton and December13, 2007 from 9:00AM to 12:00 Noon in Westford - and spaces are still available. To learn more about the workshops, or to register, click on the links below:

Thursday November 29th CPA and Affordable Housing Workshop in Northampton

Thursday December 13th CPA and Affordable Housing Workshop in Westford

Want to register? Or do you have questions about the workshops? Call Carole Spear at MHP at 617-330-9944 ext. 286 or by email - cspear@mhp.net.

November 7, 2007- Fall 2007 CPA Election Results

Three communities had the Community Preservation Act on their municipal election ballots yesterday, November 6th, and a majority of voters in all three communities voted not to adopt the Act. In Gloucester, the final tally of votes showed that the race for CPA was close, (3,939 yes votes cast for CPA versus 3,989 no votes), and residents there are planning to petition the city for a recount. In Salem, 2,934 votes were cast against adopting the CPA, while 2,594 voters supported adoption. Finally, in the community of Franklin, 2,174 voters cast no votes versus 1,528 who voted to adopt CPA.

October 1, 2007- Court ruling issued on uses of CPA funds for recreation projects

A court ruling was issued late last week on a lawsuit brought by a group of citizens in Newton. The suit questioned the city of Newton's approval of CPA funds for a recreation project at a local park. The judge's ruling in the case reaffirmed guidance offered previously by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR), which stated that CPA funds can not be used to rehabilitate or restore recreational assets unless those assets have been acquired or created with CPA funds. For a copy of the ruling and the DOR's opinion on the issue, click on the links below.

Newton Recreation Court Decision

DOR Letter on Recreation Question

September 30, 2007 - Registration now open for November 10th 2007 CPA conference in southeastern Massachusetts

The Community Preservation Coalition invites all communities in southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands to join us for our upcoming CPA conference, to be held on the campus of Bridgewater State College on Saturday, November 10th, 2007, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The conference will offer workshops on CPA implementation and CPA adoption, and will be free of charge. To register, or for more information, contact Katherine Roth at 617-367-8998, or by email at katherine.roth@communitypreservation.org . For a copy of the conference announcement or the conference schedule, click on the links below.

CPA Southeastern Massachusetts Conference Flier

CPA Southeastern Massachusetts Conference Schedule

September 6, 2007 - Franklin Town Council votes to put CPA on the ballot in November, 2007.

Franklin's Town Council voted last night, September 5, 2007, to send CPA to the ballot this November. Voters there will be asked to consider a 3% CPA surcharge on local property taxes, with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property value and for low income families and low and moderate income seniors. Franklin joins Salem and Gloucester, two other cities voting on CPA this fall, with another seven towns scheduled to vote on CPA this coming spring, 2008.

August 14, 2007 - CPA in the News

Gloucester City Councillors voted 9 - 0 on Tuesday August 7, 2007, to put CPA on the city's ballot this November. As in Salem, voters in Gloucester will be deciding on whether to implement CPA with a 1% surcharge and with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property value and low income families and low and moderate income seniors.

July 13, 2007 - Salem to vote on CPA in November, 2007.

The Salem City Council voted on Thursday, July 12, 2007, to put CPA on the city's ballot this November. Voters there will be deciding on whether to implement CPA with a 1% surcharge. The City Council vote was overwhelmingly in favor of putting CPA before the Salem voters, 10 to 1.

Spring 2007 election season ends on high note - CPA communities now total 127!

The CPA was adopted in three more communities voting this spring, ending the spring election season on a positive note. Majorities of voters in Littleton, Essex, and Hudson opted to join the growing number of communities participating in the program. An initial vote on CPA in Bolton was not successful, nor was a repeat attempt in Lunenburg. Seven more communities: Becket, Worthington, Chesterfield, South Hadley, Brimfield, Andover, and West Bridgewater are already poised to vote on CPA in the spring of 2008.

Three communities in central and western Massachusetts vote to adopt CPA on May 7th, 2007!

Two days after citizens in Goshen adopted the CPA, citizens in three more Massachusetts communities, Deerfield, Phillipston, and Templeton, cast their ballots in favor of participating in CPA. CPA communities now total 124 statewide!

Goshen becomes the 121st community to adopt CPA; Worthington Town Meeting places CPA on the ballot.

On May 5, 2007, citizens in the western Massachusetts community of Goshen voted to adopt the CPA, while Town Meeting participants in nearby Worthington voted to advance the CPA to the community's ballot at their next regularly scheduled election.

Registration Opens for CPA Central and Western Massachusetts Conference

The conference will be held on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 in Amherst, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, from 8:30 AM to 2:45 PM. Conference workshops will include topics related to both CPA adoption and CPA implementation. To register, please send an email to katherine.roth@communitypreservation.org or call 617-367-8998.

For more information, please download the CPA conference information below, as well as the tentative schedule of workshops. Both files are in the .pdf format.

April CPA Conference Schedule of Workshops
April CPA Conference Information

Save the Date! Western Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA) Conference to be held April 28th, 2007.

The Community Preservation Coalition invites all communities in Central & Western Massachusetts to attend its upcoming western Massachusetts CPA conference, sponsored in conjunction with the University of Massachusetts Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning.

The conference will be held on Saturday, April 28th, 2007 in Amherst, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, from approximately 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Workshops offered will cover both CPA adoption- and implementation-related topics.

We will post details on the conference in mid-March. In the meantime, feel free to contact Katherine Roth, Associate Director of the Community Preservation Coalition, at 617-367-8998 or by email at Katherine.roth@communitypreservation.org for more information.

November 21, 2006 - Lenox Becomes 119th CPA Community!

A recount of ballots cast by voters at the November 7th elections was held in Lenox today, resulting in another win for CPA. The recount showed that Lenox voters favoring the adoption of CPA outnumbered those opposed to it by 9 votes, in a hand count of the ballots by town officials. The final vote tally was 1108 for adoption of CPA to 1099 opposed.

November 8, 2006 -- Fall CPA Election Results -

Nine CPA Ballot Measures Pass in November Election; Over One-Third of Massachusetts Communities have now adopted CPA!

Voters in nine Massachusetts communities passed CPA ballot measures in the November 7th election held yesterday. CPA was adopted for the first time in Hatfield, Hubbardston, Mattapoisett, Millis, Monson, Pembroke, and Quincy. In Hingham, a ballot measure to rescind CPA was defeated (72% of Hingham voters chose to continue participation in the program), while Amherst voted to raise its CPA surcharge from 1% to 1.5%. The seven new adopting communities bring the statewide total of CPA communities to 118, more than one third of the Commonwealth's cities and towns. Also yesterday, voters in Canton, Lenox, Stoughton, Brookline, Hull, Rochester, Wrentham, Pittsfield, Palmer, and Paxton did not support the passage of CPA.

Click on the link at the top of this page to get the official CPA vote totals for each of the above communities.

October 31, 2006 -- Two communities working to adopt CPA launch community campaign websites.

Residents of Brookline and Pittsfield, two large communities voting on CPA this November 7th, have developed and launched informational websites on how CPA can benefit their communities. Check out these great websites at www.yesforbrookline.org and www.pittsfieldpreservation.com .

September 9, 2006 -- Quincy's petition drive is successful; Quincy residents will vote on CPA November 7, 2006.

Quincy residents working to pass CPA in their community petitioned hard over the summer, and managed to get their petition signatures certified at the eleventh hour, just before the state deadline to put CPA on the ballot this fall. Quincy now joins 16 other Massachusetts communities voting on the CPA this coming November!

September 1, 2006 -- Paxton to vote on CPA this November!

The Community Preservation Coalition received word today that residents of Paxton petitioning to put CPA on the ballot in November were successful, and that Paxton voters will have the opportunity to vote on CPA this fall. This brings the number of communities voting on CPA this November to 16.

August 18, 2006 -- A record number of communities place CPA on the ballot for the November elections.

As of this date, fifteen communities are scheduled to vote on CPA in the fall 2006 elections, to be held on November 7th! For more details, click on the link above.

Spring 2006 Election Recap --

The spring municipal elections resulted in 8 new additions to the list of CPA-adopters, including the following communities: Carver, Dunstable, East Longmeadow, Lexington, Longmeadow, Maynard, Tewksbury, and West Newbury. This brought the total number of CPA adopters to 111, almost one third of the Commonwealth's communities!

March 6, 2006 -- Lexington passes CPA; Dunstable Town Meeting puts CPA on the ballot!

In a banner day for CPA, voters in Lexington adopted the Community Preservation Act by a wide margin (58% yes to 34% no), becoming the 104th CPA community. Meanwhile in Dunstable, Town Meeting voters opted to put CPA on the ballot for the town's upcoming municipal election on May 15th, becoming the 14th community to vote on CPA this spring.

February 24, 2006 -- Carver to join list of communities voting on CPA this spring

November 8, 2005 – CPA Goes Three for Four in Fall Elections!!

Voters in three Massachusetts cities passed CPA yesterday, for a total of three wins and one loss for CPA this election season:

Northampton voters approved a 3% surcharge by 180 votes - 4,575 yes to 4,394 no.

Waltham adopted a 2% surcharge by the slim margin of 9 votes, or 3,092 yes to 3,083 no votes.

Weymouth voters passed a 1% surcharge by 51% (3,402 yes) to 49% (3,300 no).

Watertown rejected a 2% surcharge by nearly 2-1, or 59% (3,583 no votes) to 41% (2,469 yes votes).

Also this fall, Town Meeting voters in five more communities – Maynard, Natick, Sutton, West Newbury, and Wrentham - voted to put CPA on the ballot in elections scheduled for the spring of 2006. This brings the total to twelve communities with CPA on the ballot for spring 2006.

June 15, 2005 - Lakeville to vote next spring

Voters at Town Meeting in Lakeville voted by a wide margin to place the CPA on the ballot at next spring's town election.

June 1, 2005 - MARION IS CPA ADOPTER NUMBER 100!!!

By a wide margin (71% to 29%), residents in Marion yesterday adopted the CPA to make Marion the 100th adopting community since the start of the CPA less than five years ago. Read more about this historic vote as well as an overview of CPA implementation as the fifth year anniversary of the Community Preservation Act approaches.

May 19, 2005 - Swampscott to vote in 2006

Swampscott Town Meeting last night voted to put the CPA on the ballot for 2006, making that community the 5th to be voting in upcoming elections.

May 18, 2005 - CPA Goes SIX FOR SIX!

In the biggest election day of the year, voters yesterday approved the CPA in ALL SIX towns that voted. The yes vote percentages were:

Brewster: 82%
Eastham: 89%
Falmouth: 85%
Harwich: 82%
Manchester: 57%
Orleans: 93% (a new record!)

There are now 99 CPA communities with one more vote this spring in Marion on May 31.

So far this spring, there have been 26 votes, 24 of which have been successful. The CPA adoption percentage is now up to 70% overall and 93% for the past 41 votes since the beginning of 2004 (38 for 41).

May 17, 2005 - A win in western Massachusetts

Voters in Belchertown adopted the CPA with 55% of the vote, bringing the total number of CPA communities to 93.

Today is one of the biggest election days of the spring, with votes in Brewster, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Manchester, and Orleans.

The last vote of the spring will be in Marion on May 31.

May 13, 2005 - Hamilton is 92nd!

Hamilton voters adopted the Act yesterday with 57% of the vote. This is a particularly noteworthy win because the Act had previously been defeated there in 2002.

Belchertown votes on Monday.

May 11, 2005 - Two more wide margins of victory!

Voters in Dennis and Truro adopted the CPA with 89% and 83% of the vote, respectively. There are now 91 CPA communities with nine more votes this spring.

Hamilton votes on Thursday.

May 10, 2005 - Marion to vote

Residents in Marion unanimously voted at their April 26th Town Meeting to put the CPA on the May 31, 2005 ballot .

May 9, 2005 - Two huge CPA wins!!

With commanding margins, voters in Mashpee and Wenham adopted the Act on Saturday: 77% in Wenham and a new CPA record 88% in Mashpee! We're up to 89 CPA communities.

Dennis and Truro vote tomorrow; Hamilton on Thursday.

May 6, 2005 - Sandwich: yes; Topsfield: no

Sandwich adopted the CPA with 81% of the vote yesterday while voters in Topsfield decided against adoption in a 34% to 66% vote. We are up to 87 CPA communities.

Mashpee and Wenham vote on Saturday.

May 5, 2005 - Tewksbury successful at Town Meeting

Tewksbury residents voted to put the CPA on the ballot at next spring's election.

Check in tomorrow for the results of today's CPA elections in Topsfield and Sandwich.

May 3, 2005 - Two more wins on the Cape

Voters in Wellfleet and Yarmouth overwhelmingly approved CPA measures in those two towns with 72% and 80% of the vote, respectively. There are now 86 CPA communities with Topsfield and Sandwich voting Thursday, and Mashpee and Wenham voting on Saturday.

Residents in Essex voted at Town Meeting last night to put the CPA on the ballot for a spring, 2006 vote.

April 25, 2005 - Two for Three on Saturday

Three communities voted this past Saturday on the CPA. Two, Kingston and Bridgewater, were successful, by wide margins (68% and 62%, respectively). Raynham voters defeated the Act by 40% to 60%. There are now 84 CPA communities. The next to vote are Wellfleet and Yarmouth on May 2.

April 20, 2005 - Another win on the Vineyard

Tisbury voters approved the Act yesterday - all six towns on Martha's Vineyard have now adopted the CPA. With the win yesterday, there are now 82 CPA communities. There are three elections this Saturday, in Bridgewater, Kingston, and Raynham.

April 15, 2005 - Three more wins!

Three towns on the Vineyard - Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury - all adopted the CPA yesterday by narrow margins, bringing to 81 the number of adopters. Five of the six towns on the island have now adopted the Act, with the 6th, Tisbury, set to vote next Tuesday.

April 7, 2005 - 3rd Victory, in Bourne - highest margin ever!

Bourne adopted the CPA yesterday by an enormous 84%-16% margin, the biggest ever. There are now 78 CPA communities. The next votes will be next Thursday, April 14 in Edgartown, Oakbluffs, and West Tisbury.

April 6, 2005 - Another Victory, in Randolph

Randolph became the second community to adopt the CPA this year, with a successful ballot vote yesterday. Bourne votes today.

April 5, 2005 - First Ballot Victory of the Year!

Voters in Fairhaven voted to adopt the CPA with 58% of the vote, 1295 to 940, making Fairhaven the 76th CPA community. Randolph votes today.

Also, yesterday Manchester placed the CPA on the ballot with a successful Town Meeting vote.

April 4, 2005 - Bridgewater to Vote this Spring

With a successful signature petition, Bridgewater becomes the 27th community to have the CPA on the ballot. Note that Fairhaven's ballot vote is today - the first of the year!

March 31, 2005 - Number of Voting Communities Rises to 26

Three new towns put the CPA on the ballot this week: Belchertown and Hamilton with signature petitions, and Lexington with a successful Town Meeting vote last night.

March 23, 2005 - Number 23: Wenham

With strong support from Town Meeting last night, Wenham became the 23rd community to be voting on the CPA this year.

March 22, 2005 - Sandwich will be 22nd to vote!

Town Meeting voted unanimously last night to place the CPA on Sandwich's May 5th election, making it the 22nd communitity to be voting this spring.

February 28, 2005 - Weymouth to Vote in November

The Weymouth Town Council voted on February 22 to put the CPA on the ballot for the town's November 8, 2005 election, making Weymouth the 21st community to be voting this year.

February 22, 2005 - Four Vineyard Towns to Vote!

Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury all successfully completed signature petitions and will be voting to adopt the CPA this spring, brining to 20 the number of voting communities so far.

January 12, 2005 - Yarmouth approves CPA at TM

Yarmouth became the 16th community to have the CPA on the ballot this spring, with approval at last night's Town Meeting.

December 14, 2004 - Eastham and Harwich to Vote in '05

Eastham and Harwich approved the CPA at their Town Meetings last night, bringing to 15 the number of communities that have the CPA on the ballot so far for 2005.

November 16, 2004 - CPA Passes at Brewster Town Meeting

Town Meeting voters in Brewster placed the CPA on the spring ballot by a unanimous vote last night, making Brewster the 13th community to be voting in the spring of 2005.

November 10, 2004 - Three more Town Meeting wins

The CPA was put on the ballot by Town Meeting members in Bourne, Falmouth, and Randolph on November 8. The three communities will vote on the Act at their spring elections in 2005, bringing to 12 the number of communities already on the ballot for 2005.

November 8, 2004 - Two more communities to vote in '05

Mashpee and Truro passed the CPA at their October 15 and October 26 Town Meetings, respectively. There are now nine communities with CPA on the ballot for the spring.

November 3, 2004 - All 10 communities adopt CPA!!

The CPA was adopted in all ten communities that voted at the ballot on November 2, 2004.

The results are as follows:

Community	Vote
Barnstable	17558 yes 4923 no (78% yes)
Concord	5335 yes 3721 no (59% yes)
Groton	2864 yes 2553 no (53% yes)
Hadley	1744 yes 977 no (64% yes)
Hanover	3636 yes 3150 no (54% yes)
Middleton	2602 yes 957 no (73% yes)
Needham	8863 yes 6575 no (57% yes)
Northborough	4448 yes 2761 no (62% yes)
Sharon	4959 yes 3690 no (57% yes)
Wilbraham	4396 yes 3110 no (59% yes)

October 26, 2004 - Several more Town Meeting victories!

Three more communities have passed the CPA at Town Meeting and will be voting in the spring of 2005. Kingston and Wellfleet approved it at their October 18 Town Meeting, and Orleans put the CPA on the ballot at last night's Town Meeting. That brings the total to 17 communities that will be voting over the next six months - 10 on November 2 and the rest in the spring.

September 22, 2004 - A new town and more developments!

Last night, Dennis became the 14th community to place the CPA on the ballot after a successful vote at Town Meeting. In other news, three communities that were slated to voted on the CPA this November, Fairhaven, Raynham, and Topsfield, will actually be voting next spring instead. This delay is due to the fact that they missed the state deadline to notify the Secretary of State of their Town Meeting vote results.

September 14, 2004 - Wilbraham will be voting in November

A 13th town, Wilbraham, will also be voting on November 2, after successfully submitting signatures to put the CPA on the ballot.

September 9, 2004 - Two more for Nov. 2 Ballot!

Both Hanover and Northboro have completed successful signature campaigns to put the CPA on the November ballot, raising the number of communities that will vote this November to at least 12.

August 20, 2004 - Barnstable is 10th to Ballot!

The Barnstable Town Council voted to place the CPA on the November ballot at their August 19 meeting.

May 20, 2004 - Needham is 9th on Ballot for November!

Town Meeting voters in Needham voted to place the CPA on the ballot there last night, making Needham the 9th community to do so.

May 18, 2004 - Two More Town Meeting Victories

Town Meeting voters in Middleton voted to place the CPA on the ballot on May 11, and voters in Raynham approved a CPA question last night. There are now 8 communities voting in November, with several more Town Meeting votes still to come this spring.

May 11, 2004 - First CPA Loss of Season in Holden

Voters in Holden defeated the CPA in a decisive vote of 1,044 to 2,631 (28% yes). This is the final ballot vote of the spring, although there are still several Town Meeting votes which would put the CPA on the ballot for the Fall. Hadley became the sixth community to add the CPA to the November ballot, with a successful vote at last Thursday's Town Meeting.

May 5, 2004 - Another Victory - Provincetown is 65th!

In the fourth successful election out of four votes this spring, Provincetown was the 65th community to adopt the CPA with 58% of the vote (636 yes to 456 no). At Town Meeting, Sharon and Topsfield also put the CPA on the ballot for November.

May 4, 2004 - Another Win for the CPA - this time in Groveland

Voters in Groveland adopted the CPA by a wide 63% to 37% margin yesterday. The vote count was 1,238 yes votes to 712 no. We also had two successful Town Meeting votes - both Fairhaven (on Saturday) and Groton (on Monday) approved the CPA at Town Meeting and will be voting on the ballot this fall. There are now 64 CPA communities. Provincetown votes today.

April 26, 2004 - Nahant is Second Community to Pass CPA in 2004!

With 58% of the vote (374 to 270), Nahant became the 63^rd community to adopt the CPA. Residents voted this past Saturday, April 24. The next votes are Groveland on May 3 and Provincetown on May 4.

April 15, 2004 - First Vote in 2004 is Victory for CPA!!

Residents in Conway voted by a narrow margin to adopt the CPA in the first ballot election of 2004. The final count was 120 yes votes to 105 no, or 53% yes. This vote makes Conway the 62nd CPA community. The next town to vote is Nahant on April 24.

Update on March 30, 2004: Lincoln is First CPA Town to Raise Surcharge

Voters in Lincoln, by a wide margin, raised the town's CPA surcharge from 1.5% to 3% on March 29. The vote tally was 644 for and 368 against, or 64% for the raise.  

2004 Looking like a Busy One for CPA Votes

After a quiet 2003 with only 4 towns voting, the Coalition expects several times that many communities will take up the Act in 2004. In addition to several towns that already have the CPA on the ballot, a number of others will be having Town Meeting votes in the next three months. Check back here for updates on Town Meeting and ballot votes. The first ballot vote for a new CPA community will take place in Conway on April 15, 2004.

CPA was Three for Four in 2003!!!

Last year, three out of the four communities voting on the Act adopted it. Most recently, Southborough was the 61st community to adopt the CPA on May 12, 2003 with 57% of the vote. On May 5, Upton became the second community to adopt the CPA in 2003, by a narrow margin of 703 to 684. The first community to vote on the CPA last spring, Acushnet, passed the Act (66% to 34%) on April 7. All three towns are in some of the fastest growing areas of the state.

Press Releases State Matching Funds for 2002 Distributed 10/14/02 Historic Preservation Amendment Passes 7/12/02 CPA Momentum Building 3/26/02 CPA Essential in North Andover 3/25/02 CPA Conference a Success 3/16/02

Manchester also voted on the CPA on May 12 and was unsuccessful in its second attempt to pass the Act, voting it down 46% to 54%.

November CPA Victories Despite a Tough Economy

Eleven communities voted on the CPA in the November 5th, 2002 elections.

Despite a tough economic climate, seven of them adopted the Act. Please see the Fall, 2002 spreadsheet for complete election results, including the percentage of yes and no votes, and the surcharge and exemptions for each community.

With the addition of these 7 new CPA communities, there are now 58 communities that have adopted the CPA. 

Now that the much anticipated fall elections are behind us, we will be examining the lessons we can learn from these campaigns - both what was successful and what should be avoided the next time around. Over the next few months, we will be posting this information on the site, along with a frequently updated list of communities that will be voting on the CPA in the spring of 2003.

We have also put together a collection of campaign literature that various communities have used to illustrate the benefits of the CPA to their voters. These documents should be helpful as guides to communities that are planning new campaigns.

Also frequently updated will be a list of questions and answers  about the CPA. If your question is not on the list, please either submit it on this website's question board, email it to christopher.saccardi@tpl.org, or call us at 617-367-8998.

Check back often, as we will constantly be adding new material.

Spring 2002 Recap

Fifteen new towns adopted the CPA in the spring of 2002, bringing the total to 51. 

With a very different fiscal climate than the elections that took place last year, there was a great deal of uncertainty about whether or not communities would be able to pass the Act, especially with nearly half of the voting communities also facing a Proposition 2 ½ Override on the ballot with the CPA.

The end result produced a number of surprises. There were towns like Scituate and Ashland, that voted to adopt the CPA while at the same time voting down overrides, towns like Sudbury and Rockport that passed both overrides and the CPA, and several cases in which the CPA was voted down and overrides both passed and failed. Also interesting is that the CPA passed this year in Ashland, Rockport, and Sudbury, three towns that had previously voted it down. For a summary of the spring's CPA results, including which communities had Proposition 2 ½ Overrides on the ballot and how they did, you may download the Spring Elections Spreadsheet

Over the coming months, we will be examining the lessons that can be learned from the various campaigns and sharing them with you. We will continue to examine individual campaigns, (Norwell, Scituate, Sudbury, Westport, others coming soon).