Palmer declines to run for re-election

Select Board member Tom Palmer will not seek re-election this May.

Palmer announced his decision at the Select Board’s Feb. 23 meeting. He said he wanted residents to know he would not be running ahead of the March 9 town caucus.

Palmer said he decided not to run in order to spend more time with his wife.

“I have a high school senior graduating, and my wife and I will become the proverbial empty nesters,” he said. “We intend to take advantage of the flexibility that accompanies such status.”

Palmer’s seat will be one of three up for grabs following the town’s vote in January to expand the Select Board from three seats to five. Two seats will be for three-year terms and one will be for a two-year term. The annual town election is set for May 2, and the last day to submit nomination papers is March 27.

He was elected to the Select Board in 2023 after several years of municipal service. He chaired the Finance Committee, co-chaired the Josiah Smith Tavern and Old Library working group and served on the Town Manager screening committee. While on the Select Board, he co-chaired the Fire Station working group.

Palmer has lived in Weston for most of his life. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University. He spent his career in venture capital and co-founded software development company iModules.

He told the Observer that once his child graduates high school, he and his wife want to take advantage of their more flexible schedule and travel. He said having a child in school has helped his service as a member of the board.

“To do the job effectively you really have to be ingrained in the community. Having a kid in school helps, [it] forces conversations on the sidelines,” Palmer said.