2024 General Election: Swampscott Community Preservation Act Prevails

MASSACHUSETTS — Swampscott voters chose to support a Community Preservation Act Committee formation that would determine historic preservation, open space, recreation and affordable housing funding projects that could be funded through money raised from a property tax surcharge and state matching funds.

The proposed 1.5 percent charge over the tax levy passed by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin.

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The charge will add an average of $110 for the average valued house in town each year, according to Select Board member Doug Thompson, who championed the CPA proposal in public forums and through this past spring's annual town meeting.

"I think it's a really smart financial strategy for the town to be able to deliver on the projects that so many people want and to leverage some state resources instead of using all taxpayer resources," he told Patch on Tuesday night.

The CPA allows for state matching funding (about 20 to 30 percent in recent years) to offset town spending on the approved projects.

"It's pretty amazing in this environment in general that people were willing to make this type of investment," Thompson said. "I think that was a key reason to pause when they heard that there would be some type of increase in taxes. But I think they realized it was an investment.

"These are all things we are going to pay for one way or another so let's do it the smart way."

Thompson credited the organization of the CPA campaign for success where past attempts to form a CPA committee had failed.

"We had tons of yard signs, we did mailers to everyone, lots of yard signs," he said. "We ran a real campaign around it."

A bylaw will now come before town meeting this spring to form a CPA committee that will determine the projects for funding outside of the Select Board and town administrator.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)