Budgets Clear ATBM

Weston Today photos

Proposed budgets for Town of Weston operations, school district operations, and capital expenditures were approved as presented on Wednesday evening at the Annual Town Budget Meeting.

Moderator Susan Moch steered discussion through 32 lines of the Town operating budget, the single Board of Education operating line, and 24 proposed capital allocations. Motions were made to reduce or erase several items, none passed on show-of-hands and voice votes.

Ms. Moch

Budgets for Town operations ($17,322,363), school district operations ($62,971,510), and capital improvements now proceed to the Budget Referendum on Saturday, May 2 from noon to 8:00 pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room.

The net capital budget comes to $4,704,026 after typical offsets for closeouts and such, but is also based on an expectation that just over $1 million will be drawn from Town reserves to pay for nearly half the amount needed to replace the HVAC system at Hurlbutt Elementary School’s North House.

The HVAC project, estimated to come in at $2.4 million all in, has been in orbit since last year’s budget cycle. It appears in the capital budget as a necessary step to ultimately qualify for nearly $500,000 in State grants.

The plan is to fold the remaining $1.4 million into a bond package by July, when short-term bond anticipation notes that funded road reconstruction come due. The plan still requires an affirmative vote from the Board of Selectmen and approval from voters at a Special Town Meeting.

Town officials

School district officials

Upon adjournment, ATBM attendees lined up to cast ballots in the Budget Referendum. Referendum voting resumes on May 2 at Town Hall from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.