SOUTHWICK – A first-ever survey sent with this year’s census yielded 1,141 responses to questions about the town’s Community Preservation Act funds.
Town Clerk Michelle Hill said she was happy with the return, although many people returned the census without filling out the survey. Hill sent about 4,500 census forms with surveys and received nearly 4,000 census responses.
“I was really pleased with the number of census responses,” said Hill.
The survey asked each household whether the town should keep the CPA program as is, eliminate the CPA as is, modify the program, and approve the same exemption for business as residential.
Hill said 500 respondents wanted to keep the CPA as is, 380 wanted to eliminate it as is, 225 said they would modify it, and 248 approved the business exemption.
Hill was the only person who opened the census and surveys. About .05 percent of opinions came to Hill from means other than the census, and many surveys included written opinions. One opinion was allowed per household.
The CPA law passed in 2000. It enables adopting communities to raise funds to create a local dedicated fund for open space preservation, preservation of historic resources, development of affordable housing, and the acquisition and development of outdoor recreational facilities.
Funds are raised locally for these purposes through imposition of a voter-authorized surcharge on local property tax bills of up to 3%. Several exemptions to the CPA surcharge can also be authorized by voters at the time of adoption. Local adoption of CPA by a community triggers annual distributions from the state’s Community Preservation Trust Fund, a statewide fund held by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, which the law also establishes.
