CPA Adoption Update: Lakeville Aiming to be First on the Ballot in 2022

This year has been quiet on the CPA adoption front, with only Brookline making it to the ballot - but the Coalition has been hearing about several towns and cities across the state that are beginning to gather supporters for adoption campaigns in 2022. While it will be some time until we have a clear idea as to which communities will be pushing for full scale campaigns, CPA supporters in the town of Lakeville have been hard at work to make sure their town will be the first to vote on adoption in 2022.

Sporting banners, pamphlets, presentations, and lawn signs, the group running "Lakeville Community Preservation Act" have been working since mid-summer to educate residents about the benefits of the CPA program. The question to place CPA on their spring ballot will be up for a vote at their 2021 Fall Town Meeting scheduled for November 8th, and so advocates have been attending festivals and other local events in order to spread the word and build support. Their warrant article proproses that the town adopt CPA with a 1% surcharge and exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential and commercial property, as well as for low-income and low/moderate-income senior homeowners. If the town meeting vote is successful, Lakeville will be the first community to place CPA on the ballot for 2022. Should the ballot question then pass at their spring election, Lakeville is projected to raise nearly $200,000 annually for local CPA initiatives, as well as making the town eligible for matching funds from the CPA Trust Fund.

It's clear that excitement for the CPA program is at an all-time high - the last 15 communities to place CPA on the ballot have all passed, and so we fully expect more communities to make moves towards CPA adoption campaigns as we head into the new year. And with this year's state match projected to be over the 30% mark, advocates across the state have every reason to get their neighbors excited about the Community Preservation Act.