THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT

(S.1513)

The Community Preservation Act is statewide enabling legislation to allow cities and towns to exercise control over local planning decisions. This legislation strengthens and empowers Massachusetts communities:

• All decisions are local.
• Local people must vote by ballot to adopt this.
• Local legislatures must appoint a committee of local people to draw up plans for use of the funds.
• These plans are subject to local comment and approval.
• If they don’t feel it is working as they expected, local people can vote it out.

The Community Preservation Fund can be used to address three core community concerns:

• Acquisition and preservation of open space
• Creation and support of affordable housing
• Acquisition and preservation of historic buildings and landscapes

A minimum of 10% of the annual revenues of the fund must be used for each three core community concerns. The remaining 70% can be allocated for any combination of the allowed uses. This gives each community the opportunity to determine its priorities, plan for its future, and have the funds to make those plans happen.

Property taxes traditionally fund the day-to-day operating needs of safety, health, schools, roads, maintenance. - and more. But, currently, there does not exist a steady funding source for preserving and improving a community’s infrastructure. The Community Preservation Act can give a community the funds needed to control its future.

The attached sheets describe some ways these funds may be used, and provides examples of local projects that would benefit from a Community Preservation Fund.