CPA Adoption Update: Springfield on the Ballot

Springfield Puts CPA on the BallotJuly 19, 2016: Springfield became the eighth community to advance CPA to the ballot this year after their City Council met on July 18th. After their advisory committee recommended placing CPA on the ballot, Springfield City Council voted 11-1 in favor of CPA. Springfield is now the fourth city that will be voting on CPA adoption during the November elections, joining Boston, Chelsea, and Holyoke. The towns of Rockland, Hull, Norwood, and Danvers, will also be voting later this year.

In Springfield, voters will decide whether or not to adopt a 1.5% 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 1.5% CPA surcharge and the aforementioned exemptions, Springfield would raise approximately $1,059,000 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 Springfield homeowner would be about $10.

If Springfield does adopt CPA, the funds could address a number of local needs including affordable housing development, public parks, recreation sites, and historic preservation projects.

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