Editorial: Right place, wrong time

Published on October 31, 2008

On Nov. 4, Amherst voters will be asked to increase the Community Preservation Act surcharge to 3 percent from the current 1.5 percent.

The surcharge - which is based on property values - can be used for affordable housing, recreational opportunities, historic preservation and land conservation. The state matches a percentage of what the town collects.

The town took in about $600,000 from town taxes and state matches for fiscal year 2008, made up of the surcharge and a 68 percent state match.

The increase to a 3 percent match would raise the town contribution to about $600,000, ideally with an equal match from the state, totaling about $1.2 million in CPA dollars. If the town stays where it is, at a 1.5 percent surcharge, it can count on a smaller match from the state next year - 35 percent instead of the current 68 percent. The state match is drawn from recording fee receipts from Registries of Deeds and those have dropped across the state.

The CPA is a good state law doing good things. Under most circumstances we would argue for maximizing the surcharge and the state match, but in our opinion this is not the year.

The fallout from the national economic climate has already reached the commonwealth. State spending is being trimmed, all programs are under scrutiny and the prospects for a recession are being forecast for early 2009. Many in town are finding it harder to make ends meet. Amherst's municipal leaders are already discussing next year's budget and the forecast is not bright. Bumping up the CPA surcharge will only add to the burden for taxpayers at a time when the town may be seeking added revenue for basic services.

Furthermore, not all towns that have the 3 percent surcharge on the books will be receiving a 100 percent match, as was the former arrangement with the state regarding CPA money. It's the collateral damage from the country's economic tailspin at the state level. There's no guarantee what Amherst's match will be if it doubles the surcharge.

The CPA surcharge should be tabled for now, and brought back at a more fiscally sound time.

Nonbinding items

Voters will also be asked two nonbinding ballot items.

Question 5 asks voters: "Shall the state representative from this district be instructed (1) to support legislation establishing health care as a human right regardless of age, state of health or employment status, by creating a single payer health insurance system that is comprehensive, cost effective, and publicly provided to all residents of Massachusetts; and (2) to oppose any laws penalizing the uninsured for failing to obtain health insurance."

Question 6 asks: "Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that: (1) reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts by 80 percent by 2020; and (2) phases out tax incentives for energy-intensive projects, while expanding job creation programs for locally-owned businesses and cooperatives involved in renewable energy, conservation, and sustainable agriculture?"

While we don't make endorsements of nonbinding referenda, we do encourage those who are registered to get out and vote on two issues of long-term interest to the people of Amherst. They serve to give legislators a sense of how voters stand.

At the polls

This election may draw some of the heaviest turnout in years. Lines will be long, polling agents will likely be overworked, and voters may take longer pondering the ballot measures.

To help make for a smoother election day, we encourage voters to read up on the state-distributed literature on the commonwealth's ballot items, and make sure that they remember to sign in twice at the precincts on Nov. 4, once for state and federal election ballot, and once for the local ballot.

Also, if you couldn't make it to the League of Women Voters' candidates' night Wednesday to catch up on the local races, make sure to check out the rebroadcasts on ACTV Channel 17. The event featured candidates for the District 1 Congressional seat, John Olver (incumbent) and Nathan Bech, state Senate candidates Stan Rosenberg (incumbent)and Keith McCormic, and Select Board candidates David Keenan, Vladimir Morales, Calvin Brower and Aaron Hayden.

The show airs today at 8 a.m. and 10:45 p.m.; Saturday at 8 a.m., 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Monday at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.