Community Preservation Act measure fails in Colrain

COLRAIN — Voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to adopt the Community Preservation Act and institute a 3% surcharge on real estate taxes to fund historic preservation, recreation and housing projects.

Question 6 failed, with 573 “no” votes compared to 395 “yes” votes on the town-specific measure. According to results from Town Clerk Anna Lavarreda, 968 of Colrain’s 1,394 registered voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, reaffirming the stance of the majority of Town Meeting voters in June, when the same proposal failed by two votes.

Had it passed, the proposal would have created a 3% surcharge on real estate taxes, with exemptions for seniors and low-income homeowners. Funds would have gone into a designated Community Preservation Fund, which towns can use to support historic preservation, recreation and housing development projects, pending approval from Town Meeting voters.

Since the Community Preservation Act was passed in Massachusetts in 2000, 196 municipalities have adopted a Community Preservation Fund. In Franklin County, Community Preservation Funds have been adopted in Greenfield, Northfield, Shelburne, Conway, Deerfield, Whately, Sunderland and Shutesbury. Proposals to create Community Preservation Funds were on the ballots in 14 towns on Tuesday, and passed in Sheffield, Swampscott, Townsend and Winchester.

Colrain’s proposal came to the ballot via a citizen’s petition from members of the Community Preservation Exploratory Committee. Members said they believed the measure failed at Town Meeting due to the vote being at the end of the warrant, after many voters had already left. They hoped the greater turnout at the election would prove beneficial for the question.

Opponents of the measure argued the town’s taxes are already too high and that the state funding match would not be worth increasing taxes for residents who are already struggling with inflation. They also felt that if the town ever had a project that needs financing, voters would support it at Town Meeting, without a Community Preservation Fund being necessary.