Town votes ‘Yes’ to CPA business exemption

By Jay Turner

Ten incumbents and two newcomers sailed into office uncontested, and the Canton business community secured a new tax exemption in an otherwise lackluster town election held on Tuesday, April 8.

Only 428, or approximately 3 percent, of the town’s more than 14,000 registered voters turned out at the polls this year; however, it was still enough to secure passage of the one ballot question, which proposed an extension of the $100,000 Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge exemption to commercial and industrial property owners.

Prior to the election, only the first $100,000 of residential property had been exempt from the CPA surcharge, which amounts to 1 percent of the annual real estate tax levy and is set aside for the preservation of open space, historic resources, affordable housing, and outdoor recreation.

The commercial exemption was not an option at the time the CPA was first being considered in Canton, but it was later added to the statewide CPA legislation and subsequently approved at the 2013 annual town meeting by a wide margin.

In Tuesday’s election, approximately 70 percent of voters said “yes” to the measure (265-110), with supporters outnumbering opponents in all six precincts: 38-15 in Precinct 1, 57-29 in Precinct 2, 28-4 in Precinct 3, 42-19 in Precinct 4, 50-19 in Precinct 5, and 50-24 in Precinct 6.

In addition to the approval of the ballot question, the following incumbents were reelected on Tuesday: Bob Burr and Victor Del Vecchio (Board of Selectmen); John Bonnanzio and Reuki Schutt (School Committee); Daniel Flood (Board of Assessors); Dr. Julie Goodman (Board of Health); Martin Dorian (Housing Authority); and George Comeau, Dorothy Shea and Susan Cogliano (Library Board of Trustees).

Also elected were newcomers Michael Loughran, who ran for a two-year School Committee vacancy, and Michael Mitcheroney, who ran for a five-year Planning Board seat.

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