Submitted by Wendy Gloyd, Westford Resident
Westford Town Meeting Article 10 proposes reducing Westford’s Community Preservation Act
(CPA) surcharge from 3% to 2%. For the average single-family homeowner, that amounts to an
estimated $99 a year, or $8.25 a month, based on current assessments.
I understand the appeal. Everything seems to cost more these days. But as a lifelong Westford
resident, I see my taxes as an investment in the care of this town—not just for us, but for the
generations who will call Westford home after us. I’m willing to put that $8.25 a month toward
protecting what makes Westford special.
And our dollars go further than what we contribute locally. Massachusetts provides additional
rounds of state CPA matching funds to qualifying communities maintaining the full 3%
surcharge. Dropping to 2% would mean losing access to those additional funds, on top of an
estimated $900,000 in reduced annual local collections.
There’s another reason to think carefully before making that cut: We’ve already asked
residents what they want Westford to become.
In 2024, through surveys, community meetings, and conversations with boards and committees,
Westford gathered residents’ priorities. The Select Board adopted the resulting Strategic Plan in
February 2025.
And what did we say we wanted?
To preserve our open space and small-town character. To offer accessible recreational
opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, safer walking and biking connections, and
housing that people at different stages of life and income levels can afford. To respect our
history, welcome our growing diversity, and make room for the future.
These weren’t passing comments at a meeting. They became part of our town’s vision for the
next five to ten years. And several of those goals align directly with what CPA funding is
designed to support: accessible open spaces and recreational facilities, historic preservation, and
affordable housing that helps people of different incomes and abilities remain part of our
community.
The Article 10 petitioner points to $3.2 million in available CPA funds as a reason we can afford
to collect less. But available doesn’t mean surplus.
Conservation land doesn’t go on the market when it’s convenient for our budget. Historic
buildings don’t wait to need repairs. Playgrounds, accessible trails, and affordable housing take
years of planning and investment. Having funds ready when opportunities arise may mean we’ve
planned well—not that we have more than we need.
Other Massachusetts towns have asked similar questions. Ayer reduced its CPA surcharge from
3% to 1% in 2003, then voted to restore the full 3% in 2020 as new preservation projects were
anticipated. Sudbury considered cutting its 3% surcharge in half in 2025. After its recreation
director and town boards raised concerns about future projects and funding, residents rejected the
proposal 163 to 32.
There’s also a budget distinction worth making. Reducing CPA collections does not put money
into Westford’s operating budget or close its projected deficit. Redirecting comparable tax
revenue to operations would require a separate voter-approved override. And when eligible
capital projects can’t be covered by CPA, the town may have to find other funding—or put them
off.
None of this means we should ignore the burden of property taxes, or that a 3% surcharge should
never be reviewed. It means we should compare the actual savings with the full cost: reduced
local revenue, lost state matching opportunities, and fewer resources for the priorities residents
helped set.
To me, stewardship is more than finding somewhere to cut. It’s caring for what earlier
generations handed us, making sure more people can enjoy and participate in what makes
Westford special, and thinking about what we’ll hand to the next.
The small-town character, open spaces, and community treasures we love about Westford
didn’t happen by accident. They’re the result of generations of investment, care, and
commitment. Our responsibility is to preserve those treasures, make them more accessible
and welcoming to everyone, and pass them along to future generations. Saving the cost of a
meal each month may sound appealing, but once we lose the things that make Westford
special, we may never be able to get them back.
