Westborough OKs CPA Adoption By Slim Margin: Vote Count

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Westborough voters have said OK to adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA), according to unofficial election results.

Westborough's CPA measure, which will add a 0.5 percent surcharge on property tax bills to fund a host of community projects, was leading 3,880 to 3,361 in preliminary results released by the town clerk Wednesday morning.

Westborough was one of six communities with CPA adoption on ballot in 2022 along with Worcester, Burlington, Boylston, Shelburne and Natick. Worcester and Natick also approved CPA measures, but Burlington voters rejected it.

Local funds from the CPA, plus matching funds from the state, will be used for funding items like building and maintaining affordable housing, preserving open space and historic preservation projects.

If the election results hold, the new surcharge won't go into effect until July 1, and the town will form a CPA committee to oversee funds and decide how the money will be spent. It typically takes about a year after the surcharge goes into effect before the CPA begins to fund local projects.