Community Preservation Act, Templeton town meeting accepted that back in 2007 and it is in town bylaws.
It amounts to a small tax on your property, a 3% surcharge on valuation with the first 100 thousand dollars exempt from the tax. If you look at real estate tax bill, you can find the amount, CPA and whatever dollar figure is. Money from CPA / CPC (community preservation committee) is not free and is not a grant, it is your tax dollars.
State matching funds is also not a grant or free money. One source of money from state is registry of deeds, and those fees were recently increased to provide more money for state match as more communities accept CPA. (more communities mean need more money) Another source for state matching funds is surplus state budget dollars, so where does the state get it's dollars to dole out, from us; state income tax, sales tax, fuel tax, license fees and on and on. So, one pays real estate taxes to town for funding the government, along with meals tax, dog license fees, building permits, motor vehicle excise taxes, etc. Unless microsoft, apple or bill gates is giving Templeton some money, CPA/CPC funding is your tax dollars at work.
Please do not try to bullshit me and tell me this project is to be paid for with grants and private donations, when the only thing being presented is using taxes and fees to pay for it. I also want to the plan, in writing.
From what I could find in 2014 CPC started funded this Grange Hall project that is not a town building.
ReplyDeleteIn 2018 apparently feeling similar to how I do about funding these private ventures with taxpayer money Town Meeting voted:Fifteen Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($15,000.00) to be awarded to the Narragansett
Historical Society for the completion of access and egress improvements including a
ramp for the historic rehabilitation of the Templeton Grange Hall, subject to a grant of
access to the building to residents of Templeton on specific dates annually without cost,
and to meet said appropriation by a transfer of said sum from the Templeton Community
Preservation Act’s Historic Resources Reserve.
Here we are in 2023, 10 years from the initial funding and have you been granted access at any time free or otherwise?
Who is overseeing the expenditure of these funds? Dont CPA fund require certain criteria be followed?
How long does CPA keep approving funding before they require results for OUR money!
Maybe as Mr Toth or Mr Currie. Maybe Mr. Henshaw can explain why many of their projects dont finish!
I'm personally exempting myself from CPA taxation as soon as I can. Find out if your eligible to exempt your property from CPA taxation. https://www.communitypreservation.org/exemptions
I hope a parking plan is included in the information Jeff has requested. It does seem this should have been included from the start. Is far as I can see, parking is extremely limited.
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