The state law provides dedicated property tax revenues for openspace acquisition, historic preservation and affordable housing.Communities have the option of collecting up to a three percentsurcharge on property tax bills to fund these three preservationinitiatives. The law has to be adopted locally, but once it is, thecommunity can decide how to distribute the money it collects.

The initiative comes with a $26 million incentive fund, whichwas created by increasing some transaction fees at the Registry ofDeeds by $20. The state is encouraging towns to adopt the act bydividing its matching funds among participating communities. Stateofficials anticipate that the first year grant could be 100% of thetotal a participating community raises.

Since the law stipulates that communities must adopt the taxsurcharge only at the time of a regular state or local election,those communities governed by a town meeting must make theirdecisions this spring during regular local elections.