The Yes to CPA for Reading ballot committee is thrilled that Reading voted YES to adopting the Community Preservation Act (CPA)! We are grateful to the residents who supported this initiative, helped spread the word, and voted to bring the CPA to Reading. We have already been in contact with the Community Preservation Coalition regarding the next steps in forming Reading's Community Preservation Committee and arranging the required training. There will be opportunities for at-large residents to serve on the new committee, as provided by state law. Our ballot committee will continue community outreach and maintain an updated version of cpaforreading.com to keep residents informed as implementation progresses.
While we celebrate the CPA's passage, we also share in the disappointment over the override's defeat. We want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Vote Yes for Reading ballot committee and the Together for Reading political action committee for their generosity and support throughout the campaign. Despite the demands of their own campaign, Vote Yes for Reading offered to share their resources, energy, and enthusiasm with us. We worked together distributing and collecting lawn signs and door hangers, as well as holding both campaign signs election week. This cooperation was freely given, with a shared commitment to the community we all care about. The two ballot questions had different outcomes, but the spirit of cooperation between our groups was a success in its own right. People came together, shared what they had, and supported one another simply because they cared about Reading.
We especially want to thank Mary Christine Paxton, who offered her encouragement and enthusiastic support of the CPA while devoting so much of herself to the override campaign. Although the outcome was not what Vote Yes for Reading had hoped for, their outreach, dedication, and hard work deserves considerable recognition and gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the CPA's passage possible and to our friends and neighbors in the override campaign who so generously stood alongside us.
Sincerely,
Yes to CPA for Reading Ballot Committee
Martha Moore
Sarah Brukilacchio
Joe Carnahan
Pat Takash
Sandy Matathia
Brian Bowe
Margaret Donnelly
Kate Kaminer