Weston Select Board leans toward September town meeting, postponing election

WESTON — May 12, 2020 — Weston eyes September town meeting and election as Finance Committee flips to level funding. Select Board Chair Christopher Houston floated a September 19 town election and September 21 town meeting at the May 12 remote meeting, citing state restrictions on gatherings and an expected exodus of residents through summer. Finance Committee member Lisa Reitano said the committee now recommends holding the town-side operating budget flat at $52.7 million — down from a 6.6 percent increase — with no new hires, deferred vehicle replacements and a paused networking project, while accepting the School Committee's increase against 13 position cuts. Town Manager Leon Gaumond told the board open town meetings in May and likely June are "highly unlikely." Houston rejected per-capita benchmarking as the budget yardstick, calling intangible quality-of-life spending unmeasurable. The board unanimously approved fire and DPW union contracts; no town meeting date was set.