Weston Finance Committee Opposes CPC Recreation Projects, Backs $105 Million Budget

WESTON -- March 16, 2023, Weston Finance Committee votes to oppose pickleball courts and rhododendron garden, backs $105M budget. The nine-member panel, chaired by Bharath Venkataraman, voted 5-3 to oppose three CPC-funded pickleball and tennis court articles and 6-1-1 to oppose a $350,000 Case Estate rhododendron garden restoration, in both cases citing the Community Preservation Committee's lack of a long-term strategic plan. The committee voted 7-1 to oppose a citizen's petition that would allow a second package store license in Weston, with members raising concerns about an incomplete financial analysis and the town's historically dry character. The $105,107,200 operating budget, a 2.5 percent increase over the prior year, passed unanimously, with Finance Director Susan reporting a 4.83 percent salary increase on the general government side. Member Zachary Sadek said the Finance Committee should "step into the breach" after town meeting to lay out affirmative CPC spending priorities, and member Matthew Seltzer argued the property tax deferral interest rate, approved 7-1 at 4.5 percent, should be tied to a published index rather than set annually by discretion.