Letters to the editor: More information needed on Select Board expansion

The other side of Select Board expansion story

Regarding your recent article about expansion of the Select Board, the history is broader and deeper than your article seemed to suggest. In 2022, 72% of voters approved a Citizen’s Petition authorizing the expansion of the Select Board from three members to five. The Select Board at the time interpreted the election results as advisory, declined to seek legislative approval, and created a six-member Government Study Committee to examine the issue. Your article highlighted the Committee’s recommendations. The other side of the conversation is also important.

Counterpoints include:

1. Expanding the Board can better reflect our changing and diversified population.

2. Additional members can bring additional professional competencies.

3. A larger Board encourages open debate and more thoughtful and effective governance.

4. A five-member Board would be able to work between meetings, adding to the Board’s productivity without violating Open Meeting Laws.

5. The level of work facing today’s Board is compounded by State initiatives and mandates that, historically, have not been part of the governance landscape.

6. Having more members would reduce the currently enormous workload on individual members.

7. All other Boards and Committees in Weston operate with five to nine members, most notably the School Committee, which is responsible for 75 to 80% of the Town budget.

8. 82% of towns in Massachusetts with populations like ours already operate with five-member Boards.

9. There were no examples cited of towns that switched to five members and decided to revert to three members.

10. The Committee’s concerns about finding qualified candidates are speculative and unfounded.

This should be a very clear-cut and positive step for Weston. I hope we all find our way to neighborhood polling places and vote to redesign our Select Board to meet the financial and aesthetic challenges of the future.

Frank Caine, Gambrill Lane

Select Board expansion story omits information

I read with deep disappointment your recent article on the Select Board expansion from three to five members. The article lacked basic journalism practices of gathering multiple perspectives and presenting complete facts.

The Facts You Omitted: Your article failed to mention that 72% of voters approved Article 24 at the 2022 Town Meeting—a clear mandate for expansion. You didn’t report that the Select Board delayed action for 20 months, only proceeding after persistent resident pressure. You ignored that the Town Governance Study Committee—appointed by the very Select Board under review—recommended against expansion despite acknowledging their data was “not directional.” Readers deserved this context.

A Conflict Worth Noting: One Observer founder is married to former Select Board member Laurie Bent, who vigorously opposed expansion. This creates an appearance of bias worth acknowledging.

What Balanced Reporting Looks Like: Balanced reporting would explore why the Select Board interpreted a 72% vote as merely “advisory” and would include voices from both supporters and opponents. Instead, you presented one perspective without context or alternative viewpoints.

A Challenge: The Observer has a choice: continue as a feel-good bulletin board that avoids controversy or step up as a source of information that Weston needs. Democracy depends on an informed electorate, and an informed electorate depends on honest, fearless journalism. Our town is facing real challenges—from mismanaged assets like the AIC and Community Center to projected tax increases of 65-70% over the next decade if we proceed with all the proposed Town projects.

Weston needs a newspaper willing to investigate these issues. I hope The Observer will rise to meet that challenge.

Rachel C. Stewart, Sudbury Road

Editor’s note: Please refer to the Select Board expansion story.