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Many Massachusetts Communities Now Considering CPA Adoption

Posted on: May 7, 2018 - 2:19pm

Feb. 12, 2016: CPA has become a hot topic across the Commonwealth thus far in 2016. Three communities have already voted to place CPA on the ballot in their Spring Elections: Abington, Oxford, and South Hadley. 

But more than a dozen others are in various stages of looking at CPA for the November 2016 Presidential Ballot. A few are well along in the process, including Danvers, Holyoke, and Billerica. And as of this week, Boston is in the mix. Click here to see a map of CPA adoption activity statewide.

CPA has a high success rate of adoption on presidential ballots: Since 2004, 24 communities have been successful in passing CPA on a presidential ballot, while only 2 communities voted against it.

Boston Considering CPA

At Wednesday's Boston City Council meeting, Councilors Michael Flaherty and Andrea Campbell introduced an order to adopt CPA. A majority of the other City Councilors immediately added their names to the order, and it was referred to a sub-committee for further investigation. It is anticipated that the order may surface for a full vote by the City Council in mid to late March.

The order called for Boston to adopt a 1% surcharge with three exemptions (low/moderate income, first $100,000 residential and first $100,000 commercial). CPA advocates estimate that a 1% surcharge could generate $13 million for Boston, plus the state trust fund distribution. A broad coalition of advocates is forming with efforts to increase affordable housing, rehabilitate parks and restore historic structures as the primary beneficiaries.

Interest from Boston puts the spotlight on the Coalition's efforts to stabilize the CPA Trust Fund. We are hopeful that Boston's interest in CPA will spur the many legislators who represent Boston to assist our efforts. You can read more about our legislative efforts to increase fudning for the CPA Trust Fund by clicking here.

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