Letters

LETTER: Watertown Taxes Low, Increase from CPA Will Not Be Too Painful

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Dear Editor:

Some of the Anti-Community Preservation Act people argue that $100/year in new taxes is too much for Watertown residents to swallow. So, if that is true, how come when the 4,932 single family homeowners in Watertown received tax reductions of between $100-400 last year there wasn’t more jumping for joy or fainting with elation? My guess is it’s because they didn’t even notice. But it’s true! The residential tax rate for FY16 was lowered from $15.03 to $13.68 AND the residential exemption went up from $1,357 to $1,416 so that, I believe, every single-family homeowner received a tax deduction.

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.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Opposes CPA, Wants to See Money Spent on Schools

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The Community Preservation Act (CPA) will create an additional tax burden on Watertown homeowners where funds will be controlled by the small group people who campaigned for it. Meanwhile, Watertown’s schools need funding for essential improvements. The CPA will, “…establish a dedicated funding source” for the specific wants of a minority of Watertown residents. That is probably why it is being pushed by the Historical Society of Watertown (Society), Invest in Watertown (Invest), and five members of Watertown’s Town Council (Council). These people treat Watertown homeowners and renters as an endless source of money for them to spend, no matter that many homeowners have higher priorities such as schools, homes, and family. Watertown homeowners can ill afford a continuing, “…additional excise of [2%]…” to fund the Society’s intense desire to socialize at the “Shick House” or Invest’s on Walker Pond and dog parks. Watertown homeowners are not a bottomless piggy bank; they cannot fund the wants of every interest group’s pet project. As desirous as it may be for Invest’s supporters to see an entirely new bureaucracy dedicated to dog parks, ponds, and open space, the CPA sends no money to where it is most needed: the Watertown Public Schools.

Elections

LETTER: Watertown Schools Parent Group Says Fund Schools, Not CPA

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Fund Schools First, Vote No On The CPA

Watertown Strong Schools (WSS) is urging Watertown voters to vote no on ballot question #5 regarding the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Here’s why:

The funding needs of our schools should be Watertown’s highest priority at this time. • All 5 of our schools are in urgent need of renovations and physical upgrades so that our buildings can support the overcrowding issues facing our Elementary schools and the high-quality 21 st Century education that all our children deserve. • The Watertown Public Schools (WPS) Facilities Master Plan study is almost complete, and initial cost estimates are that we will need at least $200 million to upgrade our school buildings. • We believe that the passage of the CPA in November could jeopardize the willingness of Watertown residents to vote in favor of a debt exclusion override that will be necessary in the next 1-2 years to fund these essential school renovations.

Elections

LETTER: Community Preservation Act is Not A Good Fit for Watertown

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The CPA tax is the proverbial round peg in a square hole when it comes to Watertown’s already cash-strapped homeowners and renters. CPA funds can only be spent on projects involving: affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space/recreation. Please consider these facts:

• Watertown property taxes will rise by 2 percent if the CPA passes. This increase will be passed on to many renters. • The Watertown Housing Production Plan of 2014 said that 40 percent of Watertown households was “housing cost burdened,”meaning that housing costs consume more than 30 percent of their gross household income, according to federal estimates.

Elections

LETTER: Resident Urges Voters to Learn About CPA Before Voting

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Dear Watertown Friends & Neighbors,

It is 43 days to Election Day, Nov. 8th. The local referendum, Question 5, regarding the Community Preservation Act is on the ballot again. Vote YES and your taxes will be raised through a 2 percent tax surcharge on your annual property tax assessment for at least five years and possibly beyond. The monies will go to support only three special interests: (1) open space/recreation, (2) historic preservation, and (3) affordable housing.