By Keith Regan, Community Reporter
Westborough—Though voters have said no in the past, the Board of Selectmen think the time may be right for the town to consider adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA).
“I think we should have the dialogue now,” Chair George Barrette said at the board’s April 29 meeting. “I think it’s something we should consider presenting to voters. It has been mishandled in the past or the timing wasn’t right.”
The CPA enables towns to impose a surtax of up to 3 percent on property taxes, with the first $100,000 of valuation exempted from the tax. The state provides partial matching funds to local communities.
Town Manager Jim Malloy said if the CPA were adopted at a 1 percent rate in Westborough, it would raise about $737,000 annually.
If the bulk of that money were devoted to paying debt services on the Town Hall renovation and the planned renovation of the Forbes Municipal Building—both historical preservation projects eligible under the CPA—the average taxpayer would save a little over $60 a year compared to traditional debt services raised through property taxes.
In addition to historical preservation, the CPA would generate dedicated funds for community housing, and open space and recreation. Ten percent of the total collected annually must be set aside for those two uses as well as historical preservation.
“It not only saves us money now, but it sets us up for the long term,” Barrette said.
Malloy said he looked at higher surcharges and found they would raise far more than needed to service the debt on the two projects and would not result in any savings for taxpayers.
“It seems worth a conversation,” he said.
Selectman Tim Dodd said he was originally a skeptic but has seen the value of the CPA. Several neighboring communities that have the tax include Northborough, and Upton.
“Clearly there are a lot of benefits to it and there’s a reason why a lot of communities have adopted it,” Dodd said.
Selectmen noted that there is already strong community support for the renovation of the Forbes Municipal Building, which will enable the town’s police headquarters to be expanded and modernized. Advocates for housing, open space and recreation could also be pulled into a coalition to help promote and pass the law, which requires both a town meeting vote and a ballot vote to be adopted.
Selectmen want to give Community Preservation Act another look
By Keith Regan
Community Reporter
Westborough—Though voters have said no in the past, the Board of Selectmen think the time may be right for the town to consider adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA).
“I think we should have the dialogue now,” Chair George Barrette said at the board’s April 29 meeting. “I think it’s something we should consider presenting to voters. It has been mishandled in the past or the timing wasn’t right.”
The CPA enables towns to impose a surtax of up to 3 percent on property taxes, with the first $100,000 of valuation exempted from the tax. The state provides partial matching funds to local communities.
Town Manager Jim Malloy said if the CPA were adopted at a 1 percent rate in Westborough, it would raise about $737,000 annually.
If the bulk of that money were devoted to paying debt services on the Town Hall renovation and the planned renovation of the Forbes Municipal Building—both historical preservation projects eligible under the CPA—the average taxpayer would save a little over $60 a year compared to traditional debt services raised through property taxes.
In addition to historical preservation, the CPA would generate dedicated funds for community housing, and open space and recreation. Ten percent of the total collected annually must be set aside for those two uses as well as historical preservation.
“It not only saves us money now, but it sets us up for the long term,” Barrette said.
Malloy said he looked at higher surcharges and found they would raise far more than needed to service the debt on the two projects and would not result in any savings for taxpayers.
“It seems worth a conversation,” he said.
Selectman Tim Dodd said he was originally a skeptic but has seen the value of the CPA. Several neighboring communities that have the tax include Northborough, and Upton.
“Clearly there are a lot of benefits to it and there’s a reason why a lot of communities have adopted it,” Dodd said.
Selectmen noted that there is already strong community support for the renovation of the Forbes Municipal Building, which will enable the town’s police headquarters to be expanded and modernized. Advocates for housing, open space and recreation could also be pulled into a coalition to help promote and pass the law, which requires both a town meeting vote and a ballot vote to be adopted.
