CPA Adoption Update: Sheffield Next to Advance CPA to November Ballot

So far this year, we've already seen four town meetings across the state approve of CPA adoption proposals - and the latest to advance CPA to the ballot is the town of Sheffield. Over the last few months, local CPA advocates have been building up an adoption effort  with strong support from the Selectboard and promotion from the local Sheffield Land Trust. After holding public forums to educate residents about the benefits that CPA adoption could have for the town, this grassroots work has paid off - last night, Sheffield's Town Meeting voted to pass the CPA adoption article with 87 in favor and 19 opposed.

Voters in Sheffield will now be deciding in November whether or not to adopt a 1% CPA surcharge for their community with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property, the first $100,000 of commercial property, and for low income and low & moderate income senior homeowners. Should the town adopt CPA, they are expected to raise approximately $80,000 in local CPA revenues annually for outdoor recreation, historic preservation, affordable housing, and open space projects. Adopting CPA would also make the town eligible to receive annual distributions of funds from the statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund, monies that are available only to communities that have adopted the Act.

With Sheffield placing CPA on the ballot, they now join the towns of Sherborn, Spencer, and Winchester on the growing list of communities that are now mobilizing local CPA adoption campaigns. We still have many other towns weighing in on CPA later this spring, including Clarksburg, Colrain, Halifax, Otis, Rutland, and Swampscott. As residents in each of these communities vote on their CPA proposals throughout May and June, we will continue to update our Upcoming CPA Elections page with any municipalities that succeed in advancing CPA to the November ballot.