Somerville to Vote on CPA this November

Aug. 21, 2012: The Somerville Board of Alderman voted last Thursday night, August 16th, to put CPA adoption on the November 6th, 2012 Somerville ballot. Somerville voters will have the opportunity to decide whether to implement a 1.5% CPA property tax surcharge, with full exemptions for low-income and low- and moderate-income senior homeowners, as well as for the first $100,000 of residential, commercial, and industrial property value. Along with taking advantage of the new possibility of exempting the first $100,000 of commercial and industrial property value, the city will also be voting on the new "Blended" version of CPA, which would allow the city to transfer other municipal revenues (such as hotel/motel excise taxes) into its local CPA fund, up to 3% of the real estate levy against real property. The city would then be able to receive matching funds from the statewide CPA Trust Fund based on that full amount. Somerville voters will now join voters in the communities of Beverly, Fall River, Great Barrington, Milton, and Somerset in considering adoption of CPA this coming fall. For an article in the Somerville Patch about the Board of Alderman's vote, click here.