CPA Adoption Update: Greenfield Puts CPA on the Ballot

2020 is shaping up to be a busy year, as many communities across the state are gearing up for local campaigns to place the question of CPA adoption on the November ballot. However, last night the city of Greenfield became the first of these communities to officially advance CPA to the November ballot. After tabling the decision at their December meeting, the Greenfield City Council reopened the matter for discussion at their February meeting, ultimately voting in favor of having residents make the final decision on CPA later this year.

In Greenfield, voters will decide whether or not to adopt a 1% CPA surcharge for their community, with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property value, the first $100,000 of commercial property value, and low income and low and moderate income senior homeowners. With a 1% CPA surcharge and the aforementioned exemptions, Greenfield would raise approximately $190,000 in local CPA revenues annually for recreation, historic preservation, affordable housing and open space projects. Adopting CPA will 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.

Greenfield joins West Stockbridge as the only two communities with CPA currently on the ballot, though West Stockbridge will be the lone municipality voting on CPA adoption at their spring election this year. As town meeting season begins this spring, keep an eye on our elections page. Whenever CPA is approved by a town meeting or city council, we will be updating this page with each community's November ballot details.