On November 6th, Franklin residents can approve the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which sets funds aside for four purposes:
1) Designation and protection of open spaces:
Setting aside land for non-residential use ultimately saves tax dollars by helping reduce the need for public expenditures on roads, sewer, water, schools, police, and fire, and improves the overall quality of life in town.
- Lands provide for passive and active recreation to all
- Helps purchase and preserve acreage currently threatened with development
- Permanent land protection with Conservation Commission or local land trusts
- Recreation improvements can be made on land purchased with CPA funds
2) Historic preservation:
- Library improvements
- Franklin Historic Museum improvements
- Inventory of historic buildings, land, and monuments
- Capital improvements to historic municipal buildings, such as schools
3) Housing that’s affordable:
- Would provide housing for Franklin residents
- Includes rehabilitating homes for eligible Franklin households
4) Parks and fields:
Active outdoor recreational facilities such as parks, playgrounds, skateboard parks, and athletic fields
Q: Who contributes?
A: All taxpayers, commercial and residential
Q: Who does not?
A: Senior citizens (60 and over) who earn up to the local median income ($65,920 per couple), low-income families, tenants, and tax exempt organizations such as Dean College and the Franklin Housing Authority.
Q: Who benefits?
A: We all do! Anyone who lives in or visits Franklin.
Q: How is this calculated?
A: Currently, a sample house valued at $438,000., taxed at $8.86 per thousand (2008 rate) pays $3,880.68 in real estate taxes. The CPA provides a $100,000 exemption. Your CPA contribution would be 3% of the property taxes after the exemption, as if that house were worth $338,000. For example:
House value: $438,000.
Less $100,000. Exemption
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$338,000.
x .00886 Real estate tax rate
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$ 2,994.68 RE tax after exemption
x .03 CPA rate of 3%
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$ 89.84 CPA contribution
Q: Can the funds ever be used for any other purpose?
A: No. It’s the law.
If this sounds like a cost-sensitive way to preserve Franklin’s quality of life, then show your support by voting YES for Question 1, the Community Preservation Act (CPA), on November 6th!
For additional information please contact PreserveFranklin at verizon dot net
Just $90.00 a year makes a big difference to "townies" who don't pull in 3 figures. Just $90.00 makes a huge difference when your 30 year fixed mortgage is already going up 2.5% for LIFE due to the passing of an override. Just $90.00 makes a huge difference when your cost of living raise can barely cover the increases in food, oil, gas, mortgage due to realestate tax increase due to an override. Just $90.00 may not seem like a lot to you but couple that with the increases due to everything else and this town is becoming unaffordable. Everyone always say well we have the lowest tax rate but that doesn't matter when your valuation increase $100,000 in a year and a half!
ReplyDeleteSincerly,
Townie, who may no longer be able to afford to call herself a "townie"
That's why there is a ballot question, the majority will rule. No one group gets to have control over any other. We are all in this together, for better or worse.
ReplyDelete