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Public pushes back on Barnstable County plan for regional high‑value transfer fee; committee review planned
Summary
Hundreds of commenters and town officials urged higher thresholds, local vetting, and spending limits during a public hearing on a home‑rule petition to authorize a regional high‑value real estate transfer fee; the assembly referred technical questions to the Economic Affairs Committee for further review.
A Barnstable County public hearing on a home‑rule petition to authorize a regional high‑value real estate transfer fee drew extended public comment and calls for changes, with residents and town officials warning the proposal could burden typical homebuyers and steer funds toward projects that worsen sprawl without clear guardrails.
The petition, identified at the hearing as "Home Rule Petition 2026‑01," drew repeated objections to a $1,000,000 threshold that several speakers said is no longer a luxury on Cape Cod. "A $1,000,000 house is really no longer considered a luxury in Barnstable," said Eric Schwab, a Hyannis resident and housing commissioner,…
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