In a standard annual procedure for the upcoming Town Meeting, Article 33 seeks to distribute Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenue into mandated "buckets" for the 2026 fiscal year. Kathy Green, Chair of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), explained that the town is required by statute to allocate a minimum of 10 percent of its annual CPA revenue into three specific categories: community housing, historic preservation, and open space.

For this cycle, the article proposes moving $270,000 into each of those three categories, totaling $810,000. Green noted that any remaining funds from the annual revenue are moved into an undesignated balance for future use. The first article is article 33 which is CPA housekeeping expenses, Green said. It's a pretty standard article. Every year it comes before town meeting.

Town Administrator James McGrail confirmed that both the Select Board and the Finance Committee have recommended Article 33 for approval. This routine allocation ensures Harwich remains in compliance with the state Community Preservation Act, which the town adopted in 2005 to supplement local property tax surcharges with state funding.