What is the Community Preservation Act (CPA)?
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created by state law (MGL Chapter 44B). It allows cities and towns to adopt a property tax surcharge to help fund projects that preserve the character of the community. Springfield voters adopted the CPA on November 8, 2016 and it went into effect on July 1, 2017.
How is the CPA funded?
The CPA fund is created via a 1.5% surcharge on real estate taxes for residential, commercial, and industrial properties, which will begin to appear on the Fiscal Year 2018 3rd and 4th quarter real estate bills. A statewide Community Preservation Act Trust Fund is also distributed to municipalities and is funded by Registry of Deeds fees.
How is the CPA surcharge calculated?
The CPA in Springfield exempts the first $100,000 of value for residential and commercial properties*. After the exemption is applied, the resulting value is then multiplied by the tax rate and the CPA rate, which is 1.5%. The resulting annual CPA is then divided evenly amongst the four quarterly real estate tax bills for any given fiscal year**.
* If you don’t know your assessed valuation, you can check it on the Assessor’s Website.
** For Fiscal Year 2018, the CPA surcharge will appear on the 3rd and 4th quarter real estate bills.
What types of projects can the CPA fund?
This revenue will be kept in a locally controlled fund that can help with:
- Acquisition, Creation, and Preservation of Open Space
- Rehabilitation or Restoration of Open Space acquired through the CPA
- Acquisition, Creation, Preservation, Rehabilitation, and Restoration of Recreational Land
- Acquisition, Preservation, Rehabilitation, and Restoration of Historic Resources
- Acquisition, Creation, Preservation, Support of Community Housing and Rehabilitation or Restoration of Community Housing acquired through the CPA
Do any exemptions to the surcharge exist?
Yes, households that qualify for low-income, or low or moderate-income housing, as defined by M.G.L. c. 44B, Section 2 are exempt from the CPA surcharge in its entirety. The low-income exemption applies to property owners under the age of 60 and the moderate income exemption applies to property owners aged 60 years or older. The area wide median income is determined annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The income limits for FY18 are listed below.
Click here for an Community Preservation Act Exemption application. (Note: applications for exemptions must be filed with the Assessor's Office on or before April 1, 2018)
Owned and Occupied by Senior 60 or Older
| Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | Moderate Income | |
| Family Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Household income | $46,620 | $53,280 | $59,940 | $66,600 | $71,928 | $77,256 | $82,584 | $87,912 |
Owned and Occupied by a Non-Senior (Age 59 and Under)
| Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | Low Income | |
| Family Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Household income | $37,296 | $42,624 | $47,952 | $53,280 | $57,542 | $61,805 | $66,067 | $70,330 |
Who administers the CPA fund?
The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is tasked with overseeing implementation and recommending projects to the City Council for funding. Its nine members are:
- LaMar Cook, neighborhood representative;
- Gloria DeFillipo, Planning Board representative;
- Juanita Martinez, Conservation Commission representative;
- Robert McCarroll, Springfield Preservation Trust representative;
- Terry Mitchell, neighborhood representative;
- Stephen Shultis Historical Commission representative;
- Angela Robles, Housing Authority representative;
- Terry Rodriguez, Park Commission representative
- Ralph Slate, neighborhood representative
The CPC meets monthly on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public. For the meeting times, locations, and agendas, please check the City Calendar.
The CPC can be contacted at:
Community Preservation Committee, City Hall, 36 Court Street, Springfield MA
Springfield Community Preservation Plan
Click here to view Springfield's current Community Preservation Plan.
How to Apply for 2019 CPA Funding
The Community Preservation Committee has approved the following funding timetable for 2019:
March 1 Preliminary applications due
March 5 CPA-eligibility determined by CPC
May 3 Full applications due
Ten (10) copies of the one-page Preliminary Application must be received by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 1 or postmarked by March 1. Send to Community Preservation Committee, c/o Budget Office, Room 412, City Hall, 36 Court Street, Springfield MA 01103.
Applicants whose proposals are determined by the CPC to be CPA-eligible will be invited to submit a Full Application, which will be posted on this web page.
2018 Recommended Projects funded from the FY18 CPA surcharge
Click here for a list of projects recommended for funding by the CPA
Helpful links for more in depth information
Community Preservation Act:http://www.communitypreservation.org/content/text-legislation
Community Preservation Ordinance:https://ecode360.com/32319903?highlight=community%20preservation%20committee#32319903
Community Preservation Coalition:http://www.communitypreservation.org/