Early Voting Underway As Burlington Decides CPA Question, Other Races

BURLINGTON, MA — Early voting is underway in Burlington.

As local voters head to the polls to weigh in on various statewide races and ballot questions, they are also casting votes on a local question to decide whether the town should opt into the state’s Community Preservation Act.

More than 20-years old, the legislation governs a statewide program focused on funding various conservation, housing and open space projects in participating municipalities.

A “yes” vote on Burlington’s CPA ballot question would accept the CPA in Burlington and enact a related property tax surcharge. A “no” vote would reject the matter.

The Community Preservation Act dates back to 2000 when then Gov. Paul Cellucci signed it into law. It allows communities to enact a surcharge on local property taxes of up to three percent. The state then contributes money each year from its statewide CPA trust fund.

Local Community Preservation Commissions help study and make recommendations for spending CPA dollars. In Burlington, though, Town Meeting would still have a chance to approve or deny each instance of CPA spending.

CPA money is restricted for use for open space protection, historic preservation, affordable housing and outdoor recreation, as noted by the statewide Community Preservation Coalition, which works to help communities navigate the CPA. There are further restrictions in place to spread CPA money across eligible categories in a community, preventing any one use from getting a disproportionate amount of funding.

In Burlington, this CPA question landed on local ballots after a vote at Town Meeting earlier this year. The Select Board unanimously endorsed the CPA in a vote last month.

Burlington’s local CPA proposal calls for a 1.5% surcharge on property taxes beginning in 2024.

There would be exemptions for individuals who qualify for low-income housing or low- or moderate-income senior housing in Burlington.

The surcharge would also exempt the first $100,000 of value on residential, commercial and industrial properties, leading to an average increase of $75 in taxes for Burlington homeowners, according to CPA supporters.

Burlington would join several neighboring communities including Lexington, Bedford and Billerica if it adopts the CPA.

Proponents of the CPA in Burlington have said the money would address currently underfunded projects and needs.

Among arguments, the group Yes CPA Burlington has noted that taxpayers across Massachusetts are already paying into the program through real-estate transaction fees that support the state CPA trust fund. Local CPA adoption, supporters note, would let money flow back into communities while backing important community projects.

Yes CPA has assembled a list of projects that could receive CPA support if this year's ballot question passes. Ultimately, though, proponents have noted that individual CPA funding requests would come from the community to then flow through the review and approval process.

Yes CPA Burlington committee representatives Larry Cohen and Bill Boivin presented the CPA ballot question to the Select Board seeking their endorsement last month.

A “yes” vote, Boivin said, would represent a “significant change” to Burlington’s financial governance.

"The CPA will allow the town to invest in small, medium or even more importantly large-scale projects that we normally can’t fund because these projects don’t make it through the warrant process," Boivin continued.

As proponents have made their case on the CPA, opponents have countered, arguing that the town has been successful to date in funding various needed projects without the CPA. No CPA Burlington, which opposes this year’s ballot question, has argued that the CPA would incentivize increased spending, leading to larger town operating budgets.

Set at 1.5%, the overall volume of individual CPA surcharge costs on property tax bills would increase in step with total tax bill increases over the years.

Among other arguments, No CPA Burlington has said the CPA would add a layer of state influence on local decisions on housing. The group has also pointed to a portion of the CPA that allows communities to use 5% of their CPA funds for administrative costs. This, No CPA Burlington has said, would create a “new bureaucracy.”

“The Community Preservation Act is not what Burlington needs at this time,” the group has said on its website. “We wanted people to feel comfortable saying no to a tax increase.”

Early voting kicked off in Burlington over the weekend. It will continue through Nov. 4 before traditional Election Day voting this year on Nov. 8.

See details on early voting here.