There will be a proposition on the November ballot about extending the Community Preservation Fund (CPF) until 2030. The wording will be something like:

Shall Local Law Number 1 of 2006, entitled “A local law in relation to extending the expiration date of the two percent (2%) real estate transfer tax imposed in connection with the town Community Preservation Fund for an additional ten (10) years until December 31, 2030, be approved?

This is the fund created by the 2% transfer tax on real estate sales (only on the amount of the sale over $250,000, or $100,000 for unimproved property). The Nature Conservancy and the Group for the South Fork have been working to get the word out to support the extension of the CPF. Here's what they have to say about the extension:

“If it is approved, the proposed extension of the Community Preservation Fund will provide towns with an additional decade of land protection revenue that can be pulled forward and used to purchase land at today’s prices, while there is still some land left to protect. If we wait until the current program expires in 2020 to authorize additional funds, we will surely miss the last major opportunity to protect the most important parcels that remain at risk for development. In addition to the direct benefits of this additional revenue, a CPF extension will also expand the Town’s opportunities for State and County acquisition partnerships, which can be used to substantially leverage the value of local dollars in the land acquisition process."

The CPF program has been wildly successful here on the East End, preserving forever thousands of acres of open land. I think the reasons stated above for extending the CPF make good sense. I mention it here so you understand why it is being proposed to extend it now, even though it's not yet close to the 2020 expiration date. You'll be seeing this proposition on the ballot in November. Now you know why and what to do.