| |
|
|
| Dear Friends & Supporters:
We would like to express our appreciation to all of you who worked
so hard on the campaign to pass the CPA in Natick. As you may have heard by now, the measure was defeated in the March 28 town election, with a final tally of 3228 to 2046 (or 61% to 39%). For a list of complete
results, click here.
We knew it would be a tough campaign, given the current financial landscape in town, but we also knew it was a debate worth having.
But we must remember that even after this defeat, the challenges
facing Natick remain with us. With more than 1000 units of new housing coming to town in the near term, there is a huge task ahead to welcome our new neighbors and introduce to them the Natick that we know and love, and for all of us to find a way to work together to preserve its affordability, its precious parks and natural spaces, and its proud heritage.
We thank the CPA Study Committee that worked so hard last summer to study the issue, and we thank Town Meeting for bringing the question to the voters. We also thank all of our volunteers and supporters for all of
their hard work, dedication, and support.
Sincerely,
Fred Witte
Jason Makofsky
Co-Chairs
Natick Community Preservation Alliance
|
Vote YES on March 28, 2006 |
Why Support the Community Preservation Act?
Look around us. Natick is changing. New development threatens to overwhelm our community, putting pressure on schools, roads, public safety, the water supply, open space, and town budgets. At the same time, town finances are stretched. We will struggle in the coming years to properly fund schools, police, fire, public works, senior services, and other essential services - let alone programs to keep Natick affordable, protect our vanishing open space, and preserve the parks and historic landmarks that make Natick special.
Increased development + tightening town budgets directly threaten Natick's quality of life. The time to act is NOW.
The Community Preservation Act will help us solve these problems.
The CPA will:
-
Help us pay for projects we already need, like the pier at Dug Pond, courts and rink at the Johnson School, and repairs to the South Natick bridge
The CPA Makes Our Tax Dollars Go Farther and Work Harder. Now That's Responsible!
You've probably heard that Natick has an extensive list of capital improvements, from the High School to a Senior/Community Center to road repairs, as well as a budget crunch. You may have heard about one or more future overrides. Those are reasons to support the CPA, because the community investments we should make using the CPA won't have to compete with our other priorities.
A low 1% CPA surcharge was recommended because we have these other needs, and because we can leverage our local CPA funds to make our money work hard for us. Our housing, parks and heritage are complementary, not competitive with schools, safety and town services.
Read the official report of the CPA Study Committee established by Natick Town Meeting.
|
Assessor surcharge calculation
(2005 residential calculations)
Average assessed value:
|
|
| Less $100,000 exemption |
- $100,000 |
|
Net home value surcharged
|
|
| Municipal tax rate (per $1000) |
$10.60 |
|
Amount subject to surcharge
|
|
| CPA surcharge rate |
1% |
|
| Average amount paid toward CPA fund |
$32 |
Protection for Those Who Need It Most
Low-income families and low- and moderate income seniors will be eligible for exemptions from the CPA. In addition, all residents will receive an exemption for the first $100,000 of their property’s assessed value. To learn more about exemptions, click here. |
|
|
