

Mission & Position Statements
Weston for Fiscal Responsibility was established during the 2009-2010 budget process and consists of a growing representative
group of Weston, Connecticut residents calling for fiscal responsibility in our Town's budget process, taxation, and spending. In the
current economic crisis, with significant declines in personal income and wealth also causing rising needs for social services, financial
restraint and fiscal responsibility at the local level is of the utmost importance to our community and our neighbors.
WFR's mission is to assemble a broader, more informed voice from our community, to work with our town's leaders and organizations,
and to raise awareness of the greater importance of fiscal responsibility in this prolonged downward trend in our economy.
WFR's position is for fiscal responsibility to include:
WFR strives to encourage a greater level of discourse, information, evaluation, and input regarding municipal taxation and spending
on services that contribute to or detract from the quality of life for all of our residents: from those with school-aged children and those
without, those that are gainfully employed, on fixed incomes, or unemployed.

 | | 70 % Education *
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 | | 11 % Debt Service *
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 | | 9 % Town Administration
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 | | 4 % Public Safety
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 | | 3 % Public Works
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 | | 3 % Capital Expenditures*
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 | | < 1% Parks & Recreation
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* Total BoE Budget, including school related debt | | service and capital expenditures, approaches 80%
WFR Achievements & Goals
 | | WFR successfully raised a common voice among taxpayers during the 2009-2010 budget process
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 | | WFR led a proactive community in achieving a 0% increase in the Town and BOE budgets.
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 | | WFR is polling Weston's Selectmen and BOE candidates to gain meaningful insights as to HOW Weston's political and | | | educational leaders will further curtail spending in 2010-2011 See Questionnaire: WFR Candidate Questionnaire
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 | | WFR is participating in budget preparation meetings to enhance the budget process for all taxpayers
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 | | WFR is taking an active role in researching, questioning, and guiding Town and BOE spending practices
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Town Budget Components
Weston's $65.3 million proposed Town Budget for 2009-2010 consists of five departments, town administration, public safety, public |
| | works, parks and recreation, education, as well as debt service and capital expenditures.
The Board of Selectmen (BoS) prepares their operating budget for all public services except for education. The Board of Education (BoE) prepares the education budget for Weston's four schools. Both the BoS and BoE propose the capital expenditures requested for the coming year, which past capital expenditures drive our current debt service.
As a percentage of the total town budget proposed for 2009-2010, budgeted expenses from each expense category breaks out as follows:
Weston for Fiscal Responsibility
 | | IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES in spending for town services and education, and eliminating waste
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 | | RESTRAINT in taxation and spending during recessionary economies
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 | | TRANSPARENCY in differentiating between wants and needs
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 | | SELFLESSNESS in not placing personal gains ahead of community needs
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 | | ACCOUNTABILITY to all segments of our community
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 | | QUALITY EDUCATION and fiscal restraint that are not mutually exclusive
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 | | MAINTAINING BoE CLASS SIZE GUIDELINES that are grade level appropriate | | | |
Copyright WFS 2009 Weston, Connecticut
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