An Open Letter to Residents and Business Owners of Ayer
An Open Letter to Residents and Business Owners of Ayer
Re: Information about Question #1 for the Annual Town Election
The new pandemic virus of COVID-19 has shaken us all. Each of us has reacted in different ways. We here at the Ayer Community Preservation Committee (CPC) are no different. We know these are troubling times, affecting our families, friends and residents within the Town of Ayer. Many of our businesses have also been affected by this crisis. We understand the financial issues being faced by our community.
Per the laws and guidelines of M.G.L. 44B, last fall CPC began the two-step process to seek voter approval to raise the Community Preservation Act (CPA) property tax surcharge from 1% to 3%, still with the opportunity to opt out of this surcharge if qualifications are met. This shift would make the Town eligible to receive not just a greater amount but a greater percentage of available State matching funds. The first step was to seek approval from Fall Town Meeting vote, which was accomplished on October 28, 2019. The second step requires approval via ballot question at the annual Town election. Because of COVID-19, this election was postponed from April and is currently rescheduled for June 2, 2020. Since the surcharge increase request process started last fall before the pandemic, the ballot question cannot be removed from this upcoming town election.
On the one hand, CPC members do not want to put any additional strain on the residents and businesses within the Town of Ayer. On the other hand, no one knows how long the pandemic or its economic impact will last, meaning there is value in taking a longer term view of how CPA funds might be used to help during difficult times. Our members are also torn on this question, given the continuing impact of the pandemic and the uncertainty of its future course. This surcharge increase could be of real use and value to the Town by raising extra funds for use in the Housing Category. It is our hope The Affordable Housing Committee will go before Town Meeting in fall 2020 to seek voter approval in creating a Housing Trust. This Trust would have a community-based Board of Trustees and would allow CPC money to potentially be used to help residents who might fall in between the cracks of federal and state assistance for things like rental payments.
Please think about our long-term future when you go to the polls on June 2nd and see our ballot question. Currently, the Town is actively looking for funding resources to help residents and businesses through this difficult time. A community-board run Housing Trust, seeded with CPC revenue, could become one of those resources. This Housing Trust would be run by a community board of local residents, for the benefit of our own town. If we need funds to assist our local residents long-term, now is the time to begin to set up those future mechanisms that could make this community effort possible. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this ballot question.
Thank you,
Janet Providakes
Chair - Ayer Community Preservation Committee