SOUTH HADLEY — For a third time since 2008, including twice this year, voters rejected adopting the Community Preservation Act.
The question failed with 4,649 voting against the property tax surcharge and 4,259 supporting it. In neighboring Holyoke, the vote went the other way with voters approving adopting the CPA.
Resident and Town Meeting member Michael J. Wozniak said he was ecstatic with Tuesday’s result.
“I’m so glad it was defeated,” he said. “The voters of South Hadley have spoken. The taxpayers have spoken.
“I think this thing finally resonated with South Hadley voters and tax payers. We don’t want it. We don’t need it,” Wozniak said.
Supporters of the measure were disappointed.
“But we’re certainly not going to give up on CPA because we think it is so important to South Hadley,” said Tony Judge, co-chair of the Committee to Vote CPA for South Hadley. “We’ll hardly give up on this effort to join 160 other communities in taking advantage of the Community Preservation Act.”
If approved, the act would have allowed the town to assess a 1.5 percent property tax surcharge beginning July 1, 2017. The money raised by the surcharge would have created a local Community Preservation Fund which can be used to fund open space protection, historic preservation, affordable housing and outdoor recreation projects. Opting into the program allows the town to receive state matching funds.
In April, voters rejected for a second time the Community Preservation Act proposal by a slim 727 to 713 vote.
Voters also rejected the proposal by a vote of 1,257 to 1,121 at the annual town election in April 2008.
A year after state legislation enabling the CPA was adopted in 2001, a 15-member study committee recommended against adopting the local option. Another study committee was formed in 2006, which endorsed participation in the CPA.
At the polls Tuesday evening, some residents said they support adopting the CPA.
Resident Kristina Schmitter voted in favor of the act even though she wasn’t keen on raising her taxes.
“I’m for parks and recreation and preserving old buildings instead of tearing them down,” she said.
Standing on the high school grounds campaigning, resident Vern Blodgett had been there off-and-on since the polls opened to show his support for both Hillary Clinton and the CPA. “I think it would be great … for South Hadley to have this,” Blodgett said of the ballot initiative.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.