City Councilor Flaherty Announces His 2020 Committee Assignments

Committee assignments for the two-year Boston City Council term beginning in 2020 have been announced, and Boston City Councilor At-Large Michael F. Flaherty has been assigned as the Chair of the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Committee for the second consecutive term. Councilor Flaherty has also been assigned as Vice-Chair on the Committee on Government Operations, the Committee on PILOT Reform, and the Committee on Rules and Administration.

“I am looking forward to my leadership roles on these critically important committees and to helping move Boston forward with effective legislation and constituent services,” said Councilor Flaherty. “I am particularly excited about my role on the PILOT reform committee, working with my colleagues and our City’s tax exempt institutions to ensure that the benefits they are reaping from our great City are being returned equitably so we may all continue to prosper.”

Councilor Flaherty has been a longtime champion of the CPA since its adoption by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2000, and was a key figure in its adoption by the City of Boston in 2016. In his role as CPA Committee chair, Councilor Flaherty will be central in the allocation of funds generated through the CPA, and their ultimate disbursement to affordable housing, open space, and historical preservation projects across the city.

Councilor Flaherty said “The success of the Community Preservation Act in the City of Boston is something I take great pride in, having spearheaded efforts to support it for almost 20 years now. I am honored to continue serving in my role as Chairman of this important committee and working to ensure that deserving projects in every neighborhood of our City continue to receive this important funding.””

 Mayor Martin J. Walsh recently released his recommendations for what will be the third round of CPA funding–a total of roughly $24 million, spread across 40 projects around the City. The Mayor recommended a majority of the funds be directed towards affordable housing projects, in direct response to the affordable housing crisis that Boston currently faces. With this round of funding, the City will have granted approximately $67 million for projects in every neighborhood. The Mayor’s recommendations for this round of funding have been approved by the Community Preservation Committee, and they will now be submitted to the Boston City Council’s CPA Committee for final approval in the coming weeks.

Councilor Flaherty will now begin the public hearing process to determine the merits of each proposed project, ensuring that they meet all of the appropriate criteria and maximize public benefit. The Councilor welcomes input from all community partners and constituents throughout this process. Any concerned party is welcome to contact his office at 617-635-4205 or by email at [email protected]. A formal announcement of the CPA Committee hearing on this matter will follow once the hearing has been scheduled.

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