Westport Finance Committee Halves $5 Million Tax Title Fund Request to $2.5 Million

WESTPORT — April 21, 2026 — Westport Finance Committee recommends halving a $5 million tax title appropriation to $2.5 million before Annual Town Meeting. The nine-member panel, meeting Tuesday with eight members present, voted 8-0 twice on Article 20 — first to reject the warrant figure as written, then to recommend a $2.5 million ceiling for the town's fund to acquire foreclosed tax title properties. Member Hugh Morton, completing his 18th and final year on the committee, argued that "it would be difficult to get a blank check like that approved at town meeting" without concrete evidence justifying the larger sum. The committee also voted 8-0 to recommend Article 25, a personnel bylaw amendment that the Personnel Board backed 3-1 last week, and to recommend Article 35, authorizing the Select Board to accept easements in the Francis Estates subdivision for a fire cistern and cemetery. Article 36, special legislation to cut the recall petition signature threshold from 10 percent to 5 percent of registered voters, received a unanimous no-recommendation vote as outside the committee's financial purview. Town Administrator Chris Vitale said draft motions for all articles will be finalized with town counsel by Thursday, ahead of the May 5 Annual Town Meeting at 7 p.m. at the high school.