One Week to Vote Yes on Question 5
to Adopt the CPA in Worcester
Photo credit: Yes for a Better Worcester Coalition

On November 8th, voters in Worcester will have the opportunity to decide whether to adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which is Question 5 on the Ballot. In recent weeks, Yes for a Better Worcester, a coalition of local and statewide organizations dedicated to its passage, has been ramping up its campaign efforts to educate Worcester residents about the CPA and its benefits as a sustainable source of funding for parks and recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing. Dr. Amie Shei, President and CEO, attended a standout event organized by the coalition on October 28, demonstrating the Foundation’s support, which has also included a seed grant of $26,000 to support the coalition’s efforts. 

The CPA became state law in 2000, and local adoption would enable Worcester to become eligible for matching funds from the state’s CPA Trust Fund. This fund generates revenue through collection of recording fees at the Registry of Deeds and from legislative appropriation. Of note, Worcester residents, through Registry fees, are already paying into this statewide CPA Trust Fund. These funds, estimated to yield approximately $3 to 4 million annually, would be held in a dedicated trust fund overseen by a mandated advisory committee.

Ballot Question 5 proposes a 1.5% surcharge on real estate taxes with exemptions for low-income households and low-to-moderate income senior households. According to August 2022 data from the Worcester Regional Research Bureau, the median surcharge contribution for homeowners and commercial owners under the Act would be approximately $43 per year and $173 per year, respectively. The coalition’s website - CPAWorcester.org - contains a calculator that Worcester residents and commercial property owners can use to determine their specific surcharge.
Pictured from left are Dr. Amie Shei, President & CEO of The Health Foundation of Central MA, and Ann T. Lisi, “Yes for a Better Worcester” Coalition 

Within the Foundation’s service area, many cities and towns have benefited from local adoption of the CPA. The Leadmine Mountain project in Sturbridge serves as one of the oldest examples of how CPA funds have been used to protect open space. This 839-acre property was acquired in 2006 by the town thanks to a partnership between their CPA program and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The property is now utilized for public outdoor recreational uses such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. On a smaller scale, several communities, including Northborough, have utilized CPA funds to further affordable housing goals by partnering with Habitat for Humanity. In recent years, many cities and towns have utilized CPA funds for rental assistance programs to help keep residents in their homes in the midst of the pandemic.

Yes for a Better Worcester’s partner organizations include: Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester, Esler Family Foundation, Greater Worcester Land Trust, Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester, Hanover Theater and Conservatory, League of Women Voters of the Worcester Area, Mass Audubon/Broad Meadow Brook, Neighbor to Neighbor, New England Botanic Garden, Preservation Worcester, Regional Environmental Council, The Health Foundation of Central MA, Veterans, Inc., Walk Bike Worcester, Worcester Common Ground, Worcester Cultural Coalition, and Worcester Interfaith.