TRANSMITTING A COMMUNICATION FROM CITY SOLICITOR MEGAN BAYER REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO THE TRANSFER FEE HOME RULE PETITION.

Telephone [phone removed] Facsimile [phone removed] TTY/TTD [phone removed] March 2, 2026 Yi-An Huang City Manager Cambridge City Hall 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 Re: Awaiting Report No. 25-69/Calendar Item No. 1 of 2/9/26, regarding a Transfer Fee Home Rule Petition. Dear Mr. Huang: On January 26, 2026, you submitted to the Council a proposed Home Rule Petition entitled “An Act authorizing the City of Cambridge to impose a real estate transfer fee” in response to Awaiting Report No. 25-69. The proposed Home Rule Petition was the subject of a Charter Right and was considered again at the Council’s February 9, 2026 meeting. At that time, the Council voted to amend the proposed Home Rule Petition to change the first sentence of Section One from: “There is hereby imposed a real estate transfer fee equal to 2 per cent of the portion of the purchase price exceeding $1,000,000…” To “There is hereby imposed a real estate transfer fee up to 2 per cent of the portion of the purchase price exceeding $1,000,000…” Also at the meeting on February 9, 2026, Councillor Flaherty proposed a further amendment to the proposed Home Rule Petition to change liability for the payment of the transfer fee from the seller to the purchaser. The Council requested that I assist with making that proposed amendment for the Council’s consideration. Attached is a redlined version and clean version of the proposed Home Rule Petition with the amendment proposed by Councillor Flaherty. Councillor Flaherty, or any other Councillor, can make a motion to amend the proposed Home Rule Petition with the changes in the redlined version. Afterwards the Council still has to vote on the Order, which is to petition the General Court of the Commonwealth of Megan B. Bayer City Solicitor Elliott J. Veloso Deputy City Solicitor Kate M. Kleimola First Assistant City Solicitor CITY OF CAMBRIDGE Office of the City Solicitor 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Assistant City Solicitors Paul S. Kawai Sean M. McKendry Diane O. Pires Sydney M. Wright Evan C. Bjorklund Franziskus Lepionka Andrea Carrillo-Rhoads Joseph R. Posner Public Records Access Officer Seah Levy

2 Massachusetts to enact the attached home rule petition entitled, An Act Authorizing the City of Cambridge to Impose a Real Estate Transfer Fee. Very Truly Yours, Megan B. Bayer City Solicitor Enc.