GILL — The remaining financial articles for the second part of Annual Town Meeting will be taken up by voters next week, including a $5.17 million total budget for fiscal year 2026 that includes large assessment increases to the Gill-Montague Regional School District and Franklin County Technical School.

The meeting will be held Monday, June 9, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Town Administrator Ray Purington explained that this year was a “perfect storm” for the budget, based on five drivers he identified as including the assessment increases to the two school districts, rising health insurance costs, Northfield EMS funding and money being moved from free cash to stabilization accounts.

“This is the largest increase I can remember in at least 15 years,” Purington said about Gill’s 12.4% assessment increase to Gill-Montague.

Gill is being asked to pay $1.99 million for its assessment. With Gill seeing its enrollment increase from 79 to 93 students, and Montague seeing a decrease from 667 to 663 students, Gill’s share of the school district’s operating costs increased while Montague’s decreased.

To fund its assessment, Gill is asking voters to raise and appropriate $1.91 million through taxes and transfer another $86,000 from the Education Stabilization Fund.

Purington said these factors created a “double whammy” for the town, but Gill had been setting money aside in its Education Stabilization Fund to mitigate a large tax increase for residents in the event that a scenario like this occurred.

Franklin Tech is also asking for an increased assessment. The 9.4% increase is due to Gill’s enrollment rising from 13 students to 16. Between Gill-Montague and Franklin Tech, this creates a total $244,648 increase in education assessments for Gill.

Meanwhile, the town is seeing increases in other areas of its budget, too, including a $40,052 increase for a town accountant as services from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ accounting program are ending due to decreased use by member towns. Purington said this increase is to pay the wages for the FRCOG accountant, whom the town plans to contract with independently. Conversely, FRCOG’s assessment to Gill is decreasing by $33,001 due to the program’s elimination.

Gill, along with many other municipalities, contracts with the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, and is seeing a spike in health insurance and life insurance costs. For FY26, there is a 26.6% increase over FY25’s figures.

The public safety budget increase is driven by the $30,745 spike in Northfield EMS costs as the town contracts with the organization for services. Northfield EMS was expecting an FY26 increase for all four towns — Erving, Bernardston, Gill and Northfield — based on staffing increases and equipment upgrades the department is seeking.

The last budget driver includes the warrant articles relating to free cash transfers. Article 12 seeks to move $381,374 to the Capital, Education, Energy, Fire Department SCBA/Air Packs and General Stabilization funds. The warrant explains there was $667,094 in certified free cash from FY24, which is being used to help avoid deficits in future budgets.

The final article to be discussed Monday, Article 13, seeks to move $80,000 out of free cash to help reduce the tax rate for FY26. Purington noted free cash will be used to cover the final loan payment on a Highway Department truck for $56,045, and for the first installment on a three-year loan repayment plan for a fire truck at $53,771.

To review the full warrant, visit gillmass.org/d/43493/Annual-Town-Meeting-Part-2.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.