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Select Board discusses Community Preservation funding and whether to lower the 3% surcharge
Summary
Board members outlined the town’s CPC receipts (local 3% surcharge plus state matches), described how CPC funds leverage larger grants for projects like the bike path, and debated whether lowering the surcharge to 1% would meaningfully offset other tax pressure while reducing state matching funds.
During the March 12 meeting, board members discussed Community Preservation Act (CPA/CPC) receipts and whether adjusting the local surcharge should be considered as part of the town’s broader tax and budget planning.
A participant summarized recent CPC receipts, saying the 3% surcharge produced about $341,000 locally last year and that state matches last year added around $162,000, yielding total CPC receipts in the neighborhood of $500,000–$550,000. That official described CPC money as restricted to three buckets—open space, historic preservation and affordable housing—and noted a portion is used as local match to attract larger state grants, including MassTrails funding used for the town’s bike path.
Board members discussed a proposal that had been suggested publicly—to reduce the local surcharge from 3% to 1% to provide a modest tax decrease for residents. Speakers pointed out the fiscal trade‑off: a drop to 1% would reduce local CPC receipts to roughly $113K and make the town eligible for far fewer state matching rounds, shrinking total CPC receipts (an example estimate cited was about $130K–$135K in combined local plus state funds under 1%).
Members emphasized the leverage effect of CPC funds: small local matches can unlock larger state and grant dollars (one board member described the leverage as "approaching 4 to 1" when combined with state matches). Several board members cautioned that reducing the surcharge would substantially reduce the town’s ability to use CPC funds as grant matches and could imperil multi‑year projects that currently rely on that money.
Board members agreed the CPC question deserves further public discussion and suggested weighing political considerations against the demonstrated grant‑matching leverage CPC provides. No change was decided at the meeting.
