Weston Select Board Authorizes MSBA School Building Certification, Sets Tax Rate

WESTON — December 2, 2025 — Weston Select Board unanimously authorized signing the MSBA Initial Compliance Certification for the high school and middle school project at its December 2 meeting. School Committee member Ken Newberg warned the three-member board that declining to sign — or experiencing a failed funding vote later — could put Weston in what designers call "MSBA jail," potentially delaying any new invitation by years; the MSBA board is set to vote on Weston's invitation December 12. The board also adopted a fiscal year 2026 residential tax factor of 1.00, accepting a projected rate reduction from $11.10 to $10.88 per thousand as the town's taxable property value climbed to just under $9.2 billion — dropping Weston from the top average single-family tax-bill ranking in Massachusetts, displaced by Brookline's 17 percent levy increase. Finance Director Susan Kelly previewed a long-term financial model showing that school construction borrowing, if it begins around 2031, could push median residential tax bills up 12 to 14 percent in a single year.