Lowell Passes CPA

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Congratulations to the City of Lowell, where residents voted to pass the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in a city election on November 5. The Lowell Sun reported that the measure passed by a vote of 5,018 to 3,646.

Lowell is the northernmost of the 36 communities in the SVT region and the 27th to pass CPA. Across Massachusetts, 176 communities have passed CPA.

The statewide CPA program helps communities preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. Communities that pass CPA add a surcharge of up to 3% to their property tax bills. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) also provides distributions each year to communities that have adopted CPA.

According to the Community Preservation Coalition, Lowell voters were asked to approve a 1% CPA surcharge on their property tax bills, with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property value, full commercial property value, and low income and low and moderate income senior homeowners. The city estimated that the surcharge would raise approximately $700,000 each year.