WINCHENDON – With several projects on the horizon — including expansion of the fire station and upgrades to the trunkline carrying water from Lake Naukeag to Toy Town — voters at Monday’s Special Town Meeting voted down to a proposal to accept provisions of the Community Preservation Act.

Most of those who packed the auditorium at Murdock Middle/High School felt a 3 percent property tax surcharge to fund the program was too much to ask at this time. Had the article passed, a question would have been included on the May 1 Town Election ballot asking voters whether or not endorse the action of Town Meeting.

Information distributed by the Community Preservation Act Exploratory Committee (CPAEC) showed that acceptance of the CPA would have added $20.10 to the annual tax bill for a property valued at $150,000. According to real estate website Zillow.com, the average home value in Winchendon is $320,000, up 7.2 percent over the past year. A home valued at that average would have see an increase of approximately $90 to the annual tax bill.

Dave Romanowski, chair of the CPAEC, told those assembled that funds raised from the CPA “would be restricted by law to projects involving the preservation of open space, affordable housing, recreation, and historic preservation. The surcharge would include exemptions for the elderly or financially qualified citizens. The formula used would also forgive $100,000 in taxable value of all properties.”

Romanoski also said “all funds collected would be matched annually, up to 100 percent, by the state, providing available funding in a given year, and would be managed by an independent, citizen-led committee.”

The contention the state would match the town’s contribution to the program was immediately challenged by Maple Street resident Rick Lucier, who quoted from media reports regarding the likely state match. Lucier said the match provided to communities participating in the CPA has dropped from 100 percent since its inception “to one which fluctuates.” Using figures provided in the reports he had gleaned, Lucier said that in 2017 the average match was only 17 percent. Last year, he said, the average had jumped to 35 percent.

“There’s no guarantee in any way, shape, or form you’re going to get 100 percent matching funds for all the money that you put in. Also, the more communities that enroll, the more the money gets divvied up more and more. So, there’s no 100 percent guarantee that your money is going to get doubled.”

CPAEC member Adam Gardner confirmed that the state has changed the rubric by which it determines eligibility based on income and land values.

“Winchendon would be close to the top, if not the top, of that tier system,” said Gardner. “So, while the cash percentage does fluctuate from year to year, as well as if every single town in the state were to adopt it, that means the state money would be split by that many more, but that adoption process is very gradual. The match for the town of Winchendon’s tier is going to be the highest of any eligible communities.”

Former selectboard member Beth Hunt said at heart she supported the measure but felt its adoption now would be premature.

Discussion continued for about 40 minutes, with one resident even suggesting the creation of a GoFundMe page to find monies for community projects, before one resident hollered from the audience to “call the question.” When Town Moderator Coral Grout called for the vote, opponents of the article outnumbered supporters by about two-to-one. Had voters opted to support the CPA, the town would have joined neighboring communities Royalston and Templeton as participants in the program.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.

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