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Community Preservation proved to be a winner in Winchester on Election Day, albeit by a thin margin.
Question 6, the Community Preservation Act passed at the ballot box 6,501 votes to 5,652.
David Miller, who along with Jen Ryan co-chaired the Yes on 6 campaign, said he was excited and relieved by the news.
“We’ve got lots of work ahead of us,” he said.
Question 6 will add a 1.5% surcharge to property bills, which can be used solely to preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing and develop outdoor recreational facilities. The new deal will cost property owners roughly $200 per year.
Miller said Yes on 6 volunteers stood outside from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. holding signs in support of CPA.
“We got a fair amount of thumbs up and I think one thumbs down,” Miller said.
That optimism, coupled with the fact there was no organized opposition to the question, made organizers think, “this could work,” he said.
He was right.
Exactly how it will work is still being explored. Miller said an implementation committee has been tasked with reaching out to Winchester-like communities that already have the CPA to see how they’ve made it work.
“Obviously, we’ll poach as much as we can,” he said.
That implementation committee will likely become the Winchester Committee for Community Preservation, Miller said. And it’s first order of business will likely be to set one big goal, he added, to get all their documentation and regulations in place by 2025’s Spring Town Meeting.
Close vote
Although the vote was close, Miller said he doesn’t believe those who checked no on the ballot were voting against the CPA per se. Rather, he believes they were voting against the 1.5% surcharge on their taxes.
He said he heard grumblings that $200 was a lot of money and it was also “conceptually unacceptable.”
“Winchester is a very challenging town,” Miller said. “It’s difficult to explain the benefit when taxes are involved.”
He said they may also have been flummoxed by the five statewide questions that preceded the local question.
“We’re pleasantly surprised and obviously pleased,” Miller said regarding their victory. “And excited for the next steps.”
