Weston Finance Committee unanimously backs $2.3 million OPEB contribution for FY27

WESTON — March 5, 2026 — Weston Finance Committee unanimously voted to fully fund the town's retiree benefits trust at $2,326,346 for FY27, rejecting a proposal to redirect some of those dollars toward a new capital stabilization fund. Town Manager Leon Gaumond had floated reducing the Other Post-Employment Benefits contribution — the actuarially determined amount needed to reach full funding by 2045 — and channeling savings toward fire station design fees or a stabilization reserve, arguing that Moody's had accepted a one-time reduction during COVID. Chair Bharath Venkataraman and members including Zachary Sadek and Maija Cirulis-Gooch held firm, with Cirulis-Gooch making the motion and Sadek seconding. The committee voted 7-0 on the OPEB article and also backed a Community Preservation Committee funding article and a Town Meeting Study Committee unanimously, while supporting a Burchard Park playground design appropriation 6-0 with one abstention. Gaumond agreed to return with a separate capital stabilization fund article, tentatively funded by roughly $866,000 in declining annual debt service, before the committee's March 23 report deadline.