Wayland Town Meeting adopts $99.7 million budget and clears path to MWRA water

WAYLAND — May 1, 2023 — Wayland Town Meeting adopts $99.7M budget, joins MWRA, overrides Select Board on Finance Committee picks. Voters approved the fiscal 2024 omnibus budget 114-18, a 7.6 percent increase driven largely by $1.75 million in new debt service and $1.4 million in special education out-of-district costs, Finance Committee co-chair Pamela Roman said. Article 12 authorizing pursuit of a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority connection passed 162-6; Board of Public Works Vice Chair Michael Wegebauer cited a limited-time $7 million MWRA entrance-fee waiver and said "the stars have aligned." In dueling articles on Finance Committee appointments, voters rejected the Select Board's version 27-72 and adopted outgoing moderator Dennis Berry's competing Article 21 by 58-41, creating a three-member appointing board of the moderator, Select Board chair and a former Finance Committee member. Town Meeting also seeded a new Special Education Reserve Fund with $150,000 and transferred $500,000 to the Capital Stabilization Fund.