Attend the Special Town Meeting
7:00 pm Tuesday, September 13
Weston High School Auditorium

This coming Tuesday, you have the opportunity to attend a Special Town Meeting, listen to the articles presented, and help to determine Weston’s future.

Only 3-4% of residents come to regular Town Meeting in the Spring, with even fewer attending Special Town Meetings like the one on September 13. Very few voters make big decisions for all of us. Your presence at this upcoming meeting will influence our future. We implore you to familiarize yourself with the warrant articles, attend the Special Town Meeting, and cast your vote.

Below is a brief summary of the positions Focus on Weston has taken on articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Warrant. We hope you find this to be informative and helpful.

Vote YES Article 6 – Memorial Pool Rehabilitation

​Vote YES because this project demonstrates the value-added thinking that contributes to quality of life for Weston residents. We believe this project will produce more revenue, increase pool usage, and delight residents. This proposal is an example of how Town programs should be thought about and managed.

• Investment will impact a large number of Weston residents of all ages. More than 25% of residents already use the pool, and these improvements will increase usage and revenue.

• The Recreation Commission has solid projections showing that 80% of costs will be paid back in 20 years.

• Repairs are long overdue -- 30 years since the last round of necessary major repairs, improvements, or updates.

• Other town pool upgrades have shown positive returns.

• The pool is an important and historic part of town life, where seniors meet and exercise, families converge, and children learn to swim.

Vote NO Article 7 – Pickleball Court Design Fees

​Vote NO because at an all-in estimated cost of $1 million, this complex would be extremely expensive. There is no demonstrated demand, no estimate of maintenance costs, no clarity on the cost to residents for playing time, and no restriction on usage by non-residents.

• There is no proven demand for pickleball courts. The Committee estimates approximately 250 ultimate users (2% of Weston residents compared to 25% currently using the Memorial Pool).

• Taxpayers will pay building and maintenance costs.

• Projected costs are approximately $1 million for 6 courts versus Wightman Tennis Club estimates of $30,000 to $40,000 per court.

• There has been insufficient evaluation of less costly alternate sites or options to retrofit to existing infrastructure to inexpensively test initial and ongoing interest by residents.

This proposal was voted down at the Town Meeting in May.
​Resubmitting this unchanged article ignores residents' previously expressed 57% “NO” vote.

Vote NO Article 8 – Special Education Reserve Fund

​Vote NO because this proposal has no bearing or effect on Weston’s Special Education program. It is merely an accounting mechanism that is unnecessary, would increase your taxes, and would accomplish nothing other than parking a significant amount of taxpayer money in a low return fund, with no tangible benefit to Weston students, families, or taxpayers.

• Weston has ready access to more than $1 million in surpluses and reserves that can be used to address unanticipated Special Education Cost overruns.

• The School Committee already has full authority to reallocate funds within its own $45 million operating budget.

• Schools have consistently overestimated expenditures for any given year by around $700,000, several times more than even the most extreme overall variance.

• In the highly unlikely event that surplus school budget and town Free Cash reserves are exhausted, the School Committee can always go to Town Meeting for additional appropriation to solve an extreme, specific, one-time need.

• The reserve would be funded with either a one-time tax above and beyond your normal property tax payment, or through increased taxes levied over a number of years, or by using annual Weston Public Schools budget surpluses, which would have the same tax-increasing effect. Either way, it would represent an up to $900,000 additional tax.

Show up and Vote at the Special Town Meeting at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 13 at the Weston High School Auditorium

Remember, you can help decide the issues that effect the future of our town. We hope this summary helps you to understand some of the key warrant articles, and inspires you to go to the Special Town Meeting and cast your vote.