Community Preservation Act

OP-ED: Just Like 11 Years Ago, Community Preservation Act is Wrong for Watertown

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Eleven years after being soundly defeated by nearly 20%, Community Preservation Act (CPA) proponents have decided to take another bite at the apple. Back in 2005, they placed the measure on the municipal ballot. Then, highly informed voters, focused keenly on local issues, were able to give it proper deliberation and rejected it. Having seen the CPA cannot withstand such scrutiny, these same special interests decided hide it on the 2016 Presidential Ballot. So what is this CPA?

Community Preservation Act

LETTER: CPA Would Improve Quality of Life, Home Values in Watertown

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Watertown Voters should vote ‘Yes’ on question 5: “Should we bring the Community Preservation Act to Watertown?” We all know of projects that could improve the quality of our lives and the value of our homes in Watertown. CPA would create a dedicated fund to pay for such projects through a 2% surcharge on all property taxes, from businesses as well as home owners. The extra revenue that Watertown would have available by adopting CPA now would be about $2.2 million per year. The revenue would grow as the many capital projects that are being developed in Watertown are completed in the next few years and start paying property taxes. The dedicated fund could be used to help renovate our playing fields and parks, preserve our historical sites and buildings, and keep up with our affordable housing needs.

Elections

Early Voting Available for First Time, Find Out How & About the Registration Deadline

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Town Clerk John E. Flynn and the Watertown Election Commission are pleased to announce that all registered voters will be able to vote before Election Day for the first time ever in Massachusetts. Early voting will begin on Oct. 24 and continue through Nov. 4, 2016. Prior to the enactment of this new law, the only way a registered voter was allowed to vote prior to Election Day was through absentee voting.

Fiscal 2018 Budget

Watertown Budget Has Increases for Town, School; Officials Must Find $1.8 Million More

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Next year’s town budget calls for a healthy increase for town departments and even larger for the schools, Town Manager Michael Driscoll said Tuesday night, but there will be some work to do to make up a shortfall of nearly $2 million before the budget is adopted in the spring. Watertown’s total operating budget for Fiscal Year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018) presented to the Town Council was $133.3 million, but the forecast revenue is $131.5 million, Driscoll said. See the budget documents here. The budget calls for a 2.5 percent increase for municipal departments, including Police and Fire, Driscoll said. The Watertown Public Schools would receive a 5 percent increase.

Elections

LETTER: Yes on 5 Committee Says CPA Won’t Harm School Funding

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The Community Preservation Act (CPA) does not compete with school funding. To the contrary, it will strengthen our schools and the education we offer Watertown’s children.  
Imagine an “outdoor classroom” of restored open space and buildings where teachers and students study how Watertown was settled, using historic maps and artifacts that bring learning alive. All of this would qualify for CPA funding and for matching state funds and grants that Watertown would otherwise be unable to get. And affordable housing programs funded by the CPA would make it possible for our teachers to live in Watertown and spend more time with students instead of long hours commuting.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Urges Watertown to Follow Other Towns and Adopt the CPA

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We all have friends in neighboring communities. Most likely these people live in towns that have already passed the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Since 2000, 161 cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have adopted the CPA. In our region, Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Lexington, Lincoln, Newton, Somervile, Waltham and Weston benefit from matching State funds for historic preservation, open space, including recreation, and affordable housing. The good people in Watertown deserve to benefit from the Act as well, especially as we have been paying into the trust fund with the State for all these years without receiving benefits.

Anne-Marie Gagnon

New Senior Center Director Excited to Build on Watertown’s Current Program

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The new Senior Center Director, Anne-Marie Gagnon, is excited to be able to focus on one town after many years working for collaboratives which serve several communities. Before coming to Watertown, Gagnon worked with HESCO (Health & Social Services Consortium Inc.) and Bay Path Elder Services before that. At one she worked with 12 communities, the other 8 communities, but now Gagnon has just one. “On this side, I get to look at one town. I have the luxury of working to meet the needs of people in the community,” Gagnon said

Gagnon said will use her experience working to meet the needs of seniors in town.