The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has announced that the state will be distributing over $36 million from the Community Preservation Trust Fund to the 155 communities across the state that participate in the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Program.  These communities will receive a 31.5 percent match to the local surcharge that they have collected in round one of the trust fund distribution this year. Communities that adopted CPA with a full 3 percent local property tax surcharge will receive additional revenue in rounds two and three. This year's distribution is the second highest since 2008.

The 19 communities in the PVPC region that have voted to participate in the CPA Program will collect a total of $1,661,631 in round one of this funding. Of these, nine communities will also be collecting an anticipated additional $715,102 in round two and three disbursements. Combined with the $5,280,879 that these 19 communities raised with their FY14 property tax surcharges, they will have over $7.5 million to spend on CPA-eligible activities in their towns and cities purchasing conservation lands, preserving farmland and historic resources, increasing affordable housing opportunities, and developing new parks and refurbishing old ones.

If you would like more information on how your community can participate in the CPA Program, please contact PVPC Senior Environmental Planner Patty Gambarini at pgambarini@pvpc.org or Historic Preservation Planner Elizabeth Rairigh at erairigh@pvpc.org.