The Act was question number one on the ballot and according tothe latest poll results 43% of voters voted against the act while32.4% of voters voted for it. The funds generated from thesurcharge were to be used to pay for affordable housing and thepreservation of historic and green space here. The bulk of the taxwould have been paid by businesses because of the number ofexemptions for homeowners and the commercial tax rate in the city.A coalition of business groups led by Fidelity Investments andincluding the National Association of Industrial and OfficeProperties, ran a campaign opposing the Act, emphasizing that withthe downturn in the economy, this was not the time to be raisingtaxes.

A coalition of advocacy groups, including the BostonPreservation Alliance, the Massachusetts Affordable HousingAssociation, promoted the passage of the Act, emphasizing that itwould raise $14 million in its first year, which would be matchedby state funds. At the last minute, city Mayor Thomas M. Meninocame out for the Act but that was apparently not enough to convincevoters to open their wallets.

"It is disappointing," Patrice Todisco, executive director ofthe Boston GreenSpace Alliance, tells GlobeSt.com. "I thought thevote would be closer. I was surprised." Todisco says that it isunclear whether the coalition will try again to get the Act passed."We tried in this cycle because it was a mayoral election," shepoints out. "I don't know what the next step will be. People needto remember that these issues aren't going to go way just becausethe CPA wasn't passed."