LEYDEN — Voters will consider a $2.22 million operating budget at this year’s annual Town Meeting, set for June 2. 

The meeting will commence at 6 p.m. at Town Hall on West Leyden Road to discuss and vote on the 27 articles on the warrant, including the budget, annual funding transfers, and adopting provisions of state law. 

Voters will be asked to approve a $2.22 million operating budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which includes a 5.08% increase from FY25.

The budget is comprised of $335,005 for general government, $211,435 for protections of persons and property, which includes the Fire Department, Ambulance Service and Animal Inspector, $1,023,619 for education, $403,669 for public works, $25,495 for human services, $37,979 for culture, $1,000 for debt, $120,000 for insurance, and $63,969 for FRCOG.

During a review of the warrant earlier this year Town Administrator Michele Giarusso said increases to next year’s budget cover rising costs for health insurance and adding more hours to the town clerk position. Other increases noted in the budget include doubling the Emergency Coordinator stipend from $500 to $1,000 and increasing the stipend for Selectboard members from $3,000 to $4,000, as well as a 134% increase due to an increase in the number of students enrolled at Franklin County Technical School. 

In addition to the operating budget, Town Meeting voters will be asked to approve $226,657 in transfers to different stabilization and project accounts, including the Fire and Police Capital Stabilization accounts, the audit fund, Conservation Commission knotwood project, and more. If approved, $178,157 of these funds will come from the town’s available free cash for the year. 

“Free cash was pretty decent this year,” Selectboard member Erica Jensen said during a review of the warrant earlier this year. 

Other articles on the warrant include adopting provisions of Massachusetts General Law allowing the town to deny building permits and other local licenses to residents who owe taxes to the town and amending the town bylaws to allow for the creation of new departmental revolving funds. A new Zoning Board of Appeals revolving fund will cover the boards advertising expenses through application fees, with a spending limit of $1,000.

Voters willing to arrive a few minutes earlier will be asked to take care of additional town business and pay leftover bills from last year in a special Town Meeting held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. If approved the single article warrant will allow the town to use $21,634 of its available free cash to pay bills and budget deficits for the ambulance service, elementary school, Gill Engineering, Verizon, etc. 

The entire warrant was posted and can be read on the town’s website. 

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com