Should Salem Use Meals Tax to Cover the CPA?

Ward 4 City Councilor Jerry Ryan is hoping meals tax will help avoid imposing more taxes on local homeowners.

The Community Preservation Act was approved citywide earlier this month by about 1,500 votes. But in Ward 4, voters rejected it by about 400. So it should come as no surprise that Ward 4 City Councilor Jerry Ryan proposed that the city use the meals tax to pay the roughly $30 per household that the recently-approved tax would impose. Mayor Kimberly Driscoll has already said she plans to supplement the CPA tax revenues with meals tax revenues to ensure that Salem gets the maximum match from the CPA funds. At Thursday's City Council meeting, Ryan suggested that the city cover the entire 3 percent from the meals tax to avoid imposing more taxes on local homeowners. The issue was referred to a committee of the whole. What do you think of using…

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A Voice In Salem

CPA Is Here Whether We Like It Or Not

Committee creation is the critical part of the process.

Let me state clearly here, I did not not vote for the Community Preservation Act. To me it is a tax poorly disguised as community initiative. None of that matters now. The CPA passed, it is here and a fact of life in Salem. Sometime after the New Year a committee will have to be formed to administer the program. This committee will be established by ordnance or by-law. The ordnance or by-law will also define the term lengths for committee members. This will be done by the city council with input from the Mayor's office. This committee is required by statute to have a minimum of five members. Those five  must be "designated representatives of the following five municipal boards: the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, the …

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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: The Community Preservation Act

The following letter to the editor was sent in by Salem resident Sara Maurno

Smart homeowners know the best investment they can make is in the value of their properties, which is intrinsically linked the larger community. The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is exactly the kind of investment this city needs to make to maintain the revitalization we’ve enjoyed in recent years. After the forum hosted by the Mack Park Neighborhood Association last week, I’m very confident about supporting CPA (voting YES on question #4), which would add 1% to Salem property taxes to leverage state funds for parks, open spaces, historic preservation and affordable housing. The State would match the funds for between 25% and 50%. The tax would represent about $30/year (12.1 cents/day), and only from property owners who can afford it.   …

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