New CPA committee backs commercial tax exemption

By Jay Turner

Three and a half months after Canton voters said yes to adoption of the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, the newly formed Community Preservation Committee — the local agency tasked with reviewing CPA proposals and recommending projects to town meeting — is beginning to take shape following the completion of appointments last month.

The nine-member CPC held its first meeting at Pequitside Farm in early February, and one of its first orders of business, besides getting to know one another, was to put together a town meeting article that would give commercial property owners the same exemption that currently applies to residential properties.

“We think business, which is important to the town, ought to be treated similarly to homeowners,” noted Lisa Lopez, the CPC’s only at-large member, in an interview earlier this week.

Under the specific provisions approved by voters in the November election, only the first $100,000 of residential property, as well as property owned by low-income residents and low- or moderate-income seniors, is exempt from the CPA surcharge, which amounts to 1 percent of the annual real estate tax levy. Those monies will then be placed into a dedicated fund, matched annually by the statewide CPA trust at an estimated 25 percent, for the preservation of open space, historic resources, affordable housing, and outdoor recreation.

Leading up to the last election, many of the CPA’s biggest detractors in Canton were business owners who felt they were being unfairly burdened by an added tax, citing the town’s existing split tax rate and the aforementioned lack of an exemption.

However, as noted by Lopez, the option of adding a commercial exemption was not yet available to communities at the time that the ballot petition began circulating in June. Rather, it was part of a series of amendments to the CPA legislation that took effect a month later — along with a pledge to add $25 million to the CPA trust from the FY13 budget surplus, among other provisions.

Now that the town can add the commercial exemption, the CPC, according to Lopez, is more than happy to facilitate the process, although the final decision will rest with the voters, first at town meeting and again at the next election.

Lopez said it is important for the CPA stakeholders to forge a strong partnership between the town’s public and private sectors. That way, she said, the town can leverage that partnership to increase financing opportunities for a variety of worthwhile and beneficial projects.

“This is certainly part of our message in that we want to be aligned with the business community in terms of identifying projects that make sense for the town,” she said.

In the meantime, Lopez said the members of the CPC must first become acquainted with their responsibilities as required by the CPA statute and also educate themselves in the technical requirements of the legislation.

To that end, the committee has invited Stuart Saginor, executive director of the Community Preservation Coalition, to its next meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at Pequitside Tavern. Saginor will lead a two-hour training session on the requirements of CPA as well as best practices based on experience in other CPA towns. The training session is open to the public, and the various town boards and committees have been invited to participate.

Among the next steps for the CPC, according to Lopez, is to hold a series of public hearings for the purpose of developing a Community Preservation Plan that will be used to guide its decision making on CPA project proposals. The committee must also develop an application form and a set of criteria for reviewing and recommending projects to town meeting.

In creating its own CPC, Canton opted to go with nine members — the maximum number allowed under the state statute. Besides Lopez, the current committee consists of Deb Sundin (ConCom), Gary Vinciguerra (Planning Board), George Comeau (Historical Commission), John MacSweeney (Housing Authority), Larry Bogue (Recreation Commission), Bob Golledge (School Committee), Bob Panico (Capital Planning), and Kathy Fox Alfano (selectmen’s delegate).

Lopez was quick to point out that the voters will have the final say on all CPA proposals and financing. She also noted that proposals “can come from anyone in the community,” including a town board, a private business, or any other resident of the town.

The CPC, on the other hand, will be responsible for reviewing proposals and recommending the most compelling ones for consideration at town meeting, in addition to keeping records and maintaining an updated CPA plan.

“We hope to do great things,” said Lopez, “and we hope to convince the people who were not in favor of CPA that it really is something that can be used for the benefit of the whole community.”

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