The Community Preservation Committee meets at 7pm on the 4th Tuesday of each month in the Police Station Conference Room, 4 Green Street.
The Community Preservation Act
The Community Preservation Act (CPA), M.G.L. Chapter 44B, was adopted by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Cellucci in September 2000. The CPA allows any city or town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to adopt a property tax surcharge of up to 3%, the revenues from which are matched by State funds.
The combined money from these two sources are used for the following purposes:
- Acquire, create and preserve open space
- Acquire and preserve historic resources
- Acquire, create, and preserve land for recreation use
- Acquire, create, preserve, and support community housing
The CPA in Newburyport
The residents of Newburyport voted to adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA) on November 5, 2002. This program creates a 2% surcharge on real estate taxes for all property owners, with exemptions for the first $100,000 of residential property value and property owned by any person who qualifies for low income housing. The Commonwealth provides matching funds in October, which has resulted in the additional annual receipts of between thirty to one hundred percent local revenue.
On February 24, 2003, the City Council adopted a City Ordinance creating the nine member Newburyport Community Preservation Committee (CPC). The CPC is charged with studying the City's needs, possibilities and resources with respect to community preservation and making recommendations to the City Council with respect to the allocation and expenditure of CPA funds.
The City has appropriated almost $5,900,000 to more than sixty projects across all four CPA categories.
The CPC holds a public informational hearing every November to hear suggestions and proposals from residents, City Boards, local organizations, and other stakeholders for projects which will best serve the goals of the CPA and the needs and interests of the City. The CPC then entertains project applications each spring and makes recommendations for funding to the City Council in June.