2000- Governor Paul Cellucci signed the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in Massachusetts.
2002 - Reading Town Meeting voted to add a Ballot question to adopt CPA at a 2% surcharge . The question did not pass by 73 votes.
2024- Reading's Select Board tasked a CPA Study Committee to revisit adopting CPA.
2026- Reading's CPA Study Committee voted to adopt the CPA at a rate of 1% surcharge, with exemptions for low-income residents and low-to-moderate income seniors.


Had Reading adopted CPA in 2002 as proposed, our Town would have raised over $20 million including state matching funds totaling in excess of $3.7 million, a very significant return on investment. The state’s matching funds come from all taxpayers -- including Reading residents. Because we did not adopt the CPA, all those matching funds went to other cities and towns. In addition, not adopting CPA has cost the Town numerous opportunities for open space acquisition and protection, historic preservation, outdoor recreation, and the creation of affordable housing. Some opportunities were lost altogether; others were delayed and then made more expensive for taxpayers. Like many other communities across the Commonwealth, Reading has difficulty finding room in its tight municipal budget for “quality-of-life” projects. This is due to competing demands for limited Town funds, coupled with a desire to keep property taxes as low as possible. Such projects are often considered to be discretionary when compared to other operational budget items, and are often relegated to the back burner.