The Community Preservation Act (CPA) was created by state law (MGL Chapter 44B). It allows cities and towns to adopt a property tax surcharge to help fund projects that preserve the character of the community. Springfield's voters adopted the CPA on November 8, 2016, and it went into effect on July 1, 2017.
The CPA fund is created via a 1.5% surcharge on real estate taxes for residential, commercial, and industrial properties, which will begin to appear on the Fiscal Year 2018 3rd and 4th quarter real estate bills. A statewide Community Preservation Act Trust Fund is also distributed to municipalities and is funded by Registry of Deeds fees.
More information is available on the City of Springfield’s website at:
https://www.springfield-ma.gov/finance/index.php?id=community-preservation