CPA Adoption Update: Malden on the Ballot

Sept. 28, 2015: Malden became the fourth community to advance CPA to the ballot this year after a grassroots group of CPA advocates worked diligently up until the deadline and successfully gathered 1,518 signatures. Social media proved to be an effective tool in gathering signatures and making residents aware of the campaign. Malden will join Woburn and Medford in voting on CPA on November 3, 2015, while the fourth community, Abington, will vote next spring.

In Malden, 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, Malden would raise approximately $508,000 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. The annual cost to the average Malden homeowner would be about $26, according to information provided by the city.

If Malden does adopt the CPA, the funds could address a number of local needs including the rehabilitation of the Malden Library, preservation of the Malden River, and creation of community gardens and recreation areas.

Further Resources:

Stay up to date on the latest news from the Malden campaign through their website and Facebook page. 

Click here to view the Malden sample ballot for November.