Editing Weston, Connecticut (section)

==Government==
[[Image:WestonCTTownHall08042007.JPG|thumb|right|Entrance to Town Hall]]
Like many other New England towns, the government of Weston consists of the [[Town Meeting]], and elective and appointive boards. First among the elective boards is the [[Board of Selectmen]]. Samantha Nestor is the First Selectwoman. By charter, the First Selectman is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the town. The town's legislative powers are divided between the Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting. Among other elective boards are the Board of Education, the Board of Finance, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of Police Commissioners.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westonct.gov/media/file/westontowncharter.pdf|title=Town Charter, Town of Weston, Connecticut|accessdate=July 28, 2023}}</ref>

On August 19, 2021, Martin Mohabeer became the first African-American to become a member of the Board of Selectmen when the Board voted to appoint him to fill a vacant seat.  His subsequent election to a new two year term in November 2021 marked the first time an African-American was elected in Weston.

In the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], Weston residents voted for Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 62.21%. Republican [[John McCain]] received 37.33%.<ref>[http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/election_2008/presidential_marg_of_vic.pdf Connecticut Election 2008 - Presidential Results Margin of Victory] uconn.edu</ref> In [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]], Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]] carried Weston over Republican [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/connecticut | title=Connecticut Election Results 2016 | newspaper=The New York Times | date=August 2017 }}</ref>

===Budget and taxes===
For the fiscal year of 2023-2024, the Town of Weston’s net budget is about $80-million.  About 73% of the town’s budget is spent on the Weston Public Schools.<ref>
{{cite web |url=https://www.westonct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/10019/638174402733000000 |title=Annual Town Budget Meeting, Fiscal Year 2023-2024 |publisher=Town of Weston |access-date=July 2, 2023}}
</ref> Weston raises taxes on the basis of property value.  With real estate assessed at 70% of market value, the [[mill rate]] evolved as follows:

{| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
|-
! Fiscal year
! Mill rate
|-
| 2004–2005
| 24.07*
|-
| 2005–2006
| 26.21*
|-
| 2005–2007
| 27.04*
|-
| 2007–2008
| 27.81*
|-
| 2008–2009
| 28.58*
|-
| 2009–2010
| 28.90*
|-
| 2010–2011
| 29.21*
|-
| 2011–2012
| 29.31*
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
|-
! Fiscal year
! Mill rate
|-
| 2012–2013
| 29.41*
|-
| 2013–2014
| 29.25*
|-
| 2014–2015
| 30.02* 
|-
| 2015–2016
| 30.48*
|-
| 2016–2017
| 30.36*
|-
| 2017-2018
| 30.73* 
|-
| 2018-2019
| 31.24*
|-
| 2019-2020
| 32.37<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lwvweston.org/budget.html |title=What happened in the process of developing FY'20's budgets? |access-date=June 30, 2019 |quote=Board of Finance sets FY'20 mill rate: 32.37 }}</ref>
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;"
|-
! Fiscal year
! Mill rate
|-
| 2020–2021
| 32.37<ref>{{cite web |url=https://westontoday.news/articles/200609-finance |title=No Mill Rate Increase, Budgets Approved |date=June 9, 2020 |quote=In a 4–3 vote on Thursday evening, Weston's Board of Finance left the mill rate unchanged and approved the Town and Board of Education operating budget requests as presented. |publisher=Weston Today |access-date=June 16, 2020}}
</ref>
|-
| 2021–2022
| 32.92<ref>{{ cite web |url=https://www.westonct.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/5272/637558083773500000 |title=Town of Weston, Budget History |date=May 6, 2021 |publisher=Town of Weston |access-date=July 2, 2021}}
</ref>
|-
| 2022–2023
| 32.97<ref>{{ cite web |url=https://westontoday.news/articles/220510-update |title=Update: Mill Rate |date=May 10, 2022 |publisher=Weston Today |access-date=July 3, 2022}}
</ref>
|-
| 2023–2024
| 33.06<ref>{{ cite web |url=https://westontoday.news/articles/230506-mill-rate |title=Finance Board Sets Mill Rate |date=May 6, 2023 |publisher=Weston Today |access-date=July 2, 2023}}
</ref>
|}

To make the mill rates comparable, the asterisked numbers are adjusted to account for the real estate revaluation of 2018-2019.  The revaluation decreased the grand list by 6.3 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weston-today.com/articles/190131-grandlist |title=Grand List Falls |access-date=February 10, 2019 |quote=After a 2018 town-wide revaluation, Weston’s Grand List — the total taxable value of properties in town — has fallen 6.3 percent, according to figures presented to the Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance at a joint meeting on January 28th.}} The unadjusted mill rates are: 28.24 (2014-2015), 28.67 (2015-2016), 28.56 (2016-2017), 28.91 (2017-2018), and 29.39 (2018-2019).</ref> The numbers for 2013-2014 and prior years are also adjusted for revaluations in 2014 and 2009, respectively.<ref>The 2014 revaluation caused a 12.43 percent decrease in the grand list. Source: The Weston Forum, 2014-01-30, ''2013 grand list shrinks by 12.43%.''  The unadjusted mill rates are: 23.61 (2009-2010), 23.86 (2010-2011), 23.94 (2011-2012), 24.02 (2012-2013), and 23.89 (2013-2014).</ref><ref>"Because of [the 2009] revaluation, the grand list (the total assessed value of taxable property in town) will change by 3.67%.  However, the 'normalized' grand list – what the change would have been if the town had not done a revaluation this year – is just a 0.75% increase."  Source: The Weston Forum, 2009-02-05, ''Officials expect the mill rate to dip.''  The 2.92 percent adjustment is the difference between 3.67 percent and 0.75 percent.  The unadjusted mill rates are: 20.25 (2004-2005), 22.05 (2005-2006), 22.75 (2006-2007), 23.39 (2007-2008), and 24.05 (2008-2009).</ref>