CPA Adoption Update: Amesbury Voting on CPA Adoption in November

After their city council approved of the measure over the summer, residents in Amesbury will now be voting on CPA adoption as a ballot question during their local election on November 7th. This is the second time that Amesbury has considered CPA adoption, as their initial attempt in 2016 unfortunately failed to pass at the ballot.

Voters in Amesbury will now decide whether or not to adopt a 1% CPA surcharge for their community with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property, the first $100,000 of commercial property, and for low income and low & moderate income senior homeowners. Should the city adopt CPA, they are expected to raise approximately $400,000 in local CPA revenues annually for outdoor recreation, historic preservation, affordable housing, and open space projects. Adopting CPA would also make the city eligible to receive annual distributions of funds from the statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund, monies that are available only to communities that have adopted the Act.

While Amesbury is the lone community with CPA on the ballot this fall, dozens of other cities and towns are currently considering their options for CPA adoption campaigns in 2024. Be sure to keep an eye on our CPA elections page for further updates in the coming months.