To the editor:
We are grateful to all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly to gather the 1,601 signatures to put the Community Preservation Act on the ballot this fall. It’s now time to focus on Nov. 6.
We learned that there is both much support and much confusion about the CPA and over the next several weeks will seek to get the facts out on this proposal. To start with, there have been changes to the act in the past years that are important for Salem residents to know:
The Legislature made key modifications to the CPA since 2007 when Salem rejected it. First, the revised law allows funds designated for open space to be spent on recreation and capital projects having to do with open space other than just open space acquisition. In our densely populated city, this change is significant. Every neighborhood has a park, and many have capital needs far beyond what we can reasonably expect to fund out of the city’s operating dollars. This means that CPA funds can be used to fix and improve those parks.
Second, the Legislature, recognizing the growing support statewide for CPA, for the first time funded $25 million toward the state’s matching funds. This is a huge improvement designed to increase the state match to communities. This also means that even more Salem taxpayer funds are going into this fund regardless of whether or not we choose to adopt CPA for our own community. Adopting CPA continues to be the only way for our city to receive the matching funds from the state.
Over the next nine weeks, our community will have a conversation about the CPA and whether or not we wish to invest in the resources which make our community so attractive as a place to live, work and visit. On behalf of the Salem Community Preservation Alliance, thank you to the volunteers who worked hard to collect signatures, thank you to the voters who signed the petition and thank you to the city councilors who supported putting this before the voters.
Mickey Northcutt
For the Salem Community
Preservation Alliance
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
New Xbox One Entertainment Console Unveiled
