Budget Proposals Set, Capital Reduced
Budget review, Feb. 12. Weston Today photo
On February 28 the Board of Selectmen approved budget proposals to convey to the Board of Finance, whose members begin their review on Wednesday evening, starting with the Board of Education.
As they stand and as expected, operating budgets for both the Town and school district rise, but the selectmen cut $2.3 million from the first take of combined capital expenditures.
The budget approval process has a distance to go, but at the moment the total represents a potential 2.3 percent mill rate increase, growing from the current 23.47 mills to 24.01. The tax on a home with a market value of $1 million ($700,000 assessed) would increase $378 for the year, or $31.50 per month.
| Proposed | Increase | Increase % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOE operating | $61,151,439 | $1,811,738 | 3.05% |
| Town operating | $16,436,317 | $686,320 | 4.36% |
| Combined capital | $3,858,598 | $578,123 | 17.62% |
| Debt service | $494,475 | ($369,775) | (42.79%) |
| Total | $81,940,829 | $2,706,406 | 3.42% |
The selectmen cannot change the operating budget voted by the Board of Education, but did find about $83,000 to trim from the first-draft allocation for Town operations.
The largest single capital reduction came from the planned HVAC replacement at Hurlbutt Elementary’s North House. The school board initially asked to include the total $1.75 million cost this year, but in discussion with the selectmen on February 12, the administration said it could be spread over two years.
That allocation was reduced to $675,000 for fiscal year 2025-26, lopping off more than 60 percent of capital costs originally on the list.
The schedule
Reviews by the Board of Finance begin, with the schools, on March 5. It’s the Town’s turn on March 11, and the schedule includes an extra day, if needed, on March 13.
The finance board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on April 8 and vote final adjustments on April 10.
The Annual Town Budget Meeting (ATBM) is set for April 23 at Weston High School. Machine ballot voting begins that evening, then resumes and concludes at Town Hall on Saturday, May 3.