| For many years, I have listened to Longmeadow residents say they love living in this town of beautiful homes and open spaces, and they want to keep it that way. I have also heard them lamenting that the only way to generate revenues to pay for town services and amenities is through the property tax. On June 6th, Longmeadow voters have the opportunity to preserve our community and to bring in additional state revenues to fund town needs by voting YES for the Community Preservation Act (CPA). As a former member of the Appropriations Committee, Capital Planning Committee and chair of the Long Range Planning Committee, I have been concerned with planning and budgeting for the Town's future for 15 years. I highly recommend the CPA as a good investment. The homeowner pays a 1% surcharge on the tax bill each year, which comes to about $40 for a bill or $4,000, which is the bill for the average home valuation in Longmeadow. There is an exemption for the first $100,000 of assessed value. People with moderate or low income (less than $50,300) will be exempt from the surcharge. The state provides matching funds each year from a dedicated income source that is not subject to change by the Legislature. Many towns in Massachusetts have already adopted the CPA and have received 100% matching funds. They have doubled their money each year. Longmeadow is projected to generate $235,000 annually from the surcharge, so with the state match, it would be $470,000 each year. Even if the match percentage decreases as more towns adopt the CPA, it is still money that did not come out of our own pockets and we are ahead. Furthermore, the funds are controlled locally. A Community Preservation Committee, following the provisions of the CPA, recommends spending on some projects and saving for others each year to Town Meeting. The voters have the final say. Voters can learn more about the CPA from the web site www.communitypreservation.org. During the Long Range planning process, Longmeadow citizens said they wanted well- maintained Town buildings and parks, natural resource protection, affordable, accessible housing for seniors, and better facilities and programs to meet the needs of our elders and youth. The law specifies that CPA funds be used for any of these purposes: open space, public recreation, community housing, and historic preservation. These are exactly the types of projects that have been put off for lack of funding in Longmeadow. The Longmeadow Long Range Plan states, "We must take bold steps in order to respond to the demands for housing, open space protection and historic preservation while at the same time to create revenue generating solutions for the Town." Adopting the CPA is an opportunity to take one of these steps. Please vote YES on June 6th to support Longmeadow's past, present and future! Cynthia A. Sommer Longmeadow |
