Community Preservation Act Funds Slated for Affordable Housing and 250th Anniversary
Key Points
- Articles 24-28 allocate CPA surcharge funds for specific community needs.
- Article 25 focuses on the town's ongoing affordable housing efforts.
- Article 28 supports historic preservation ahead of the 250th anniversary of local government.
- CPA funding allows for recreation and open space projects without competing for general fund tax dollars.
Articles 24 through 28 detail the annual allocation of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, which are generated by a local property tax surcharge. These funds are legally restricted for use in affordable housing, recreation, open space, and historic preservation. Administrator Robert Whritenour emphasized that the CPA allows the town to pursue projects that might otherwise be sidelined by emergency service needs in the general budget.
Highlights of this year’s CPA articles include Article 25 for affordable housing initiatives and Article 28, which funds historic preservation. Whritenour specifically noted that historic preservation funds are particularly timely as the town prepares for the national 250th anniversary celebration, with events planned at Thatcher Park. All of those items if we didn't do them, it would be terrible for our town. But they just wouldn't be able to compete in a normal budget for the emergencies that we have,
Whritenour said.