Weston Finance Committee clears $207,000 in fiscal 2022 year-end budget transfers

WESTON -- July 7, 2022, Weston Finance Committee unanimously approves $207,000 in fiscal year 2022 cleanup transfers amid warnings of a tough budget ahead. The committee, meeting remotely July 7 under COVID-era open-meeting rules, cleared $35,000 from the unemployment compensation account to cover unanticipated Josiah Smith Tavern insurance costs and $12,000 in water enterprise overtime, then approved $160,000 in reserve fund transfers across legal expenses, Board of Health salaries, information systems, and JST utilities, leaving an estimated $430,000 to return to free cash from the $639,140 originally appropriated. Member Jonathan Harris argued the pattern of July cleanup votes suggests departments need tighter mid-year budget discipline, warning that "we're entering into a very tough budget situation" given inflation and pending collective bargaining agreements. Finance staff reported progress on a long-range financial model intended to project tax rates and capital costs, including a potential $30 million middle school renovation and a water infrastructure program discussed at up to $80 million over 25 years, ahead of the town's annual fiscal summit.