John Sallay
The Weston Town Election is Saturday, May 8. If you are registered and have not already voted by mail, you can vote in person at Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
In addition to several elected positions on the ballot, there is a Ballot Question 1: Proposition 2-and-a-half Debt Exclusion, explained here in layperson’s terms. And that, in turn, raises some larger issues about the current relevance of Proposition 2-and-a-half in Weston.
Ballot Question 1 is not really about the specific projects mentioned in the warrant book, but about Weston’s debt and disappearing spending constraints. You can vote “no” on Question 1 and still vote “yes” at Town Meeting to support the three projects.
John Sallay
The following was submitted by John Sallay:
With an eye toward Weston’s upcoming Town Election, this article is an invitation to reflect on Weston’s current financial situation and need for change to fix an unguided budgeting process, address issues with openness, transparency and civility, promote a results-based approach to staffing and spending, and acknowledge the impact of rising property taxes on property values. These are leadership issues.
Each of us can then decide which candidates to support, and at Town Meeting the following week, decide whether to approve the proposed town budget and property tax increases, or to send them back for revision.
OPINION: Time for a reckoning on Weston s school report card
John Sallay
The following was submitted by John Sallay:
Relative to comparable affluent Boston area school districts, Weston Public School academic performance is not exceptional, despite per pupil expenses that are 26% higher than these comparable districts. In a town so dedicated to academic excellence, these facts are doubly concerning since the School Committee rather than urgently addressing these issues is now proposing another budget increase, despite declining enrollment, and an $80,000 recreation planning study. This study will most likely result in plans for more school athletic facilities, on top of the $5 million we spent to renovate the football field and track a few years ago.
OPINION: Do Weston school rankings matter? wickedlocal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wickedlocal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
John Sallay
The following was submitted by John Sallay:
Weston Town Manager Leon Gaumond recently presented his proposed fiscal 2022 budget to the Select Board and members of the Finance Committee. Overall, for next year, he is recommending $101 million for total town spending, up 4.4%.
This reflects Weston Public Schools spending up about 3% and the balance of the town spending up over 5%. Debt service, including the large Town Center projects now underway, is down about 2%.
In some past years, the additional tax revenue from new home construction and expansions covered a large portion of town budget growth. Now, however, because town spending is growing more rapidly and “new growth” is projected to be about 1%, a typical Weston homeowner will see a 5% tax increase.