Select Board appoints resident Mike Newt to Capital Improvement and Planning Committee

The Town of Southborough Select Board voted to appoint Mike Newt to the Capital Improvement and Planning Committee for a term to expire June 30, 2026.

Newt, who said he and his family became Southborough residents in 2022 and bought their home in 2023, described a background in economics and mathematics from Cornell, work in consulting and insurance, corporate finance and risk management, and doctoral study in statistics. He said he currently performs computational biology research remotely for Rice University.

During a brief interview, Newt told the board he has followed town capital issues since moving to Southborough and discussed his desire to volunteer for specialized capital-evaluation work. Select Board members praised his quantitative background and expressed a desire for more frequent capital-committee engagement with the board outside tight budget deadlines. One board member quipped appreciatively that it was good to hear someone who "knows what heteroscedasticity is." Newt said he communicates regularly with his Rice colleagues and travels to the university about every six to eight weeks.

The board moved and approved Newt's appointment; he was told to visit the Town Clerk's office within 30 days to be sworn in. Board members noted the appointment fills a vacancy and that Normal terms are three years; Newt's present term will end June 30, 2026, and he will be eligible for reappointment for a full term thereafter.

Ending: Newt will be sworn in at the Town Clerk's office and join the Capital Improvement and Planning Committee; the board signaled interest in greater committee-board engagement on capital timing and sequencing.