Westwood MA
8-03-2026 10:14pm

Westwood Select Board Places Fire Station 1 Debt-Exclusion Question on November Ballot (Updated)

Following a unanimous Westwood Select Board vote on Monday, August 3, Westwood voters will be asked on the Tuesday, November 3 state election ballot whether the Town of Westwood should be allowed to exempt the borrowing costs of a new Fire Station 1 from Proposition 2 1/2.

As read into the record by Clerk Erin Sibley, the question will state:

“Shall the Town of Westwood be allowed to exempt from the provisions of Proposition 2-1/2 so called the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay costs of designing, constructing, equipping, and furnishing a new fire station including the payment of all costs incidental and related thereto? Yes. [ ] No. [ ]"

In discussion, Select Board Chair Marianne LeBlanc Cummings, Clerk Erin Sibley, along with Town Administrator Connor Read emphasized that although the ballot question does not specify project costs or a final site for FS1, those matters will have the opportunity to be reviewed through a public process. They will also be vetted by the Finance and Warrant Commission, which will issue a recommendation ahead of an October Town Meeting on the subject.

At the October Town Meeting, voters will be asked to approve the site selection, budget, and funding sources for a new Fire Station 1. 

The Select Board needed to vote on the debt exclusion question at its August 3 meeting in order to meet an August 4, 2026 state deadline for placing the question on the November ballot. 

However, the debt exclusion vote in November will only come into play when and if Westwood voters approve site selection, budget, and borrowing authorization for FS1. An opportunity for that will be presented to voters at the October Town Meeting that will be dedicated solely to FS1.

Town Administrator Read explained that even if a budget and final site selection for Fire Station 1 were known on August 3, the state ballot question would not have been changed to include that information. He described the state ballot language as "prescriptive.”

Chair Cummings noted that Select Board was motivated to place the FS1 debt exclusion question on the state ballot. She observed that doing so saves the town the cost of holding a separate election on the question. It also is an opportunity for greater voter participation. She cited past election data showing that Westwood voter turnout is greater for a state election than a town election.

Updated 8/4/2026 at 7:21 a.m. A statement that the debt-exclusion vote in November "will only matter" if Westwood voters first approve funding in October is an overstatement and has been revised. 

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8-04-2026 6:49am

Combing the FS1 vote with the general election makes a ton of sense, and in fact, makes me wonder why not do this will ALL elections instead of holding town elections in April?

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8-05-2026 4:10pm

Two different votes for the Project?

First one in October for 'site selection, budget, and funding sources' for a new FS1.

Then, a November vote for 'designing, constructing, equipping, and furnishing' of a new FS1.

Seems repetitive.

Are you saying, that the October vote authorizes funding, an a funding source, for designing at a selected site?  If so, then why is there to be a second vote for design, construction, etc. in November?

Why are we not just voting in October, or better, November, for a complete package to make this happen?  Debt exclusion (funding source) for design, construction, equipping, and furnishing of a new FS1?  The site selection will have been recommended this Friday, August 7th.  Is the October vote just to approve the recommended Site selection?  If so, then why are we adding a budget and funding source to the October vote that's to be covered in November?

What are we voting on, when?  We need some clarity here.

Thank you.

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8-06-2026 10:17pm

Yes, there are two voter decisions coming up, which decide two different questions. Here's the upcoming process being anticipated by FS1 project planners, as I understand it:

-- FS1 Steering Committee and Select Board will hold a meeting (public) on Friday morning, Aug 7 at 9:45 a.m. at the Champagne Meeting Room of the Carby Street municipal building, during which FS1 Steering Committee will recommend its preferred site for a new Fire Station 1. Select Board has the opportunity to approve that recommendation in the very same meeting.

-- At an October Town Meeting, registered Westwood voters in attendance will be asked whether to approve Select Board's site selection, FS1 project budget, and whether to authorize borrowing necessary funds.

--At the November 3 state election, registered Westwood voters will be asked whether debt-service costs (the annual principal and interest payments) associated with the FS1 project may be raised outside the limits of Proposition 2-1/2. This is the state law which limits growth in the property tax levy that a municipality can place on its residents.

Basically, the October Town Meeting vote is needed to appropriate a certain amount of funding and authorize the borrowing required to build the envisioned FS1 project, as will be set forth by Select Board in a warrant article.  The November state ballot vote is needed for residents to authorize the town to raise property tax revenue above its levy limit to make principal and interest payments on the FS1 project debt. 

That's my understanding. Corrections and clarifications from those more closely involved in the project planning are welcome.

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