Weston FinCom receives preliminary $84.7 million FY20 budget, up 3.8 percent

WESTON — January 24, 2019 — Weston Finance Committee opens FY20 cycle with $84.7M preliminary budget and a structural deficit. Town Manager Leon Gaumond presented an $84,709,815 operating budget — a 3.8 percent increase — at the Police Department because the Town Hall elevator remains out of service. Roadway maintenance jumps from $1.25 million to $1.75 million, the school budget rises 3.7 percent, and OPEB funding is set at $2,214,656. Gaumond recommended one school resource officer rather than two, declined two additional firefighters, and shifted a school IT employee to the town side as a 0.7-0.8 FTE network manager. The presentation flagged a $634,115 structural deficit to be covered from free cash; one member said inflation is 1.7 percent while Weston's average tax bill of roughly $20,000 sits well above neighboring Wayland, Wellesley and Concord, warning that increases "compound" year over year.