SEEKONK

Passing the Community Preservation Act in Seekonk could overcome some of the helplessness many of us feel as we see houses sprouting up all around us on farmland and other open spaces. Most of us probably have concerns about this rapid growth, both as residents of a town whose character is changing and also as individuals watching bulldozers and chainsaws lay waste to land that may have a special meaning for us or our family.

The Seekonk Republican Town Committee recommends that individuals “who believe in this cause, freely donate their time and money to help preserve the local community and its natural resources.”

However, many individuals and organizations have already been hard at work on this problem. Probably the foremost example is the Seekonk Land Trust. The mission of the land trust is to preserve open space and promote environmental awareness. But there is a problem. The Land Trust does not have the money to buy land. “It takes a whole town” for this mission to be accomplished.

Passage of the CPA would allow the Town of Seekonk to place a surcharge of 1.25 percent on property taxes based on a home’s assessed value, less $100,000. Low income families and moderate to low income seniors would be exempted. The average family would pay only $29 a year.

Many, many families are feeling the impact of rising oil prices and economic slowdown. Even in better times, Seekonk always has immediately pressing budgetary needs. Without planning and foresight, Seekonk will never have a fund dedicated to preserving land which would benefit the whole town.

For only $29 a year, residents could enjoy or use open land which most people would never be able to afford. This fund would be totally separate from the town’s budget.

The land is disappearing rapidly as we wait for “better times.” At least joining the Community Preservation Act would enable the town to take advantage of Massachusetts funds while they are still available. Even better, the money in this dedicated fund could be used as seed money to qualify us for many other grants. One Massachusetts town used their fund of $500,000 to acquire a piece of land worth $6,000,000.

Please look ahead to the future, slow down the increasing pressures on the town to provide more municipal services and schools and help to minimize potential tax increases.

Vote Yes for CPA Seekonk on Monday, April 7.

Cynthia Mason