LEYDEN — Voters passed all 27 articles on the warrant for Annual Town Meeting on Monday, including a $2.2 million budget and an $88,056 payment on the town’s broadband debt.

In just over two hours, the 72 voters in attendance took care of the town’s business, including approving the municipal budget for fiscal year 2026 and accepting provisions of state law allowing the town to deny licenses and permits to residents who owe taxes.

“You’ve probably heard the expression it takes a village, and it does take a village to make this town run,” Town Moderator Jack Golden said.

The $2.2 million operating budget for FY26 was approved unanimously with minimal discussion. Voters sought clarification on why the emergency medical services budget was being decreased and how many students the town has enrolled at Pioneer Valley Regional School and Franklin County Technical School.

Selectboard Chair Katherine DiMatteo said some of the EMS responsibilities were moved to the Fire Department, and the $10,000 decrease in the EMS budget reflected that funding being moved to the fire budget.

For FY26, Leyden’s assessment for Franklin Tech is $122,418, a 133% increase over the current fiscal year. Superintendent Rick Martin said this was due to an increase in enrollment from four to 10 students, with a per pupil cost of approximately $12,000 per student. Pioneer Superintendent Patricia Kinsella added that Leyden has 19 students enrolled at Pioneer Valley Regional School and 32 students at Bernardston Elementary School, and the town’s assessment increased by 0.5% for a total of $894,772.

Voters also approved a $355,150 budget for the Municipal Light Plant, an $88,056 payment on the loan for the town’s broadband infrastructure and putting $35,000 into the Broadband Stabilization Account for future replacement of equipment. The plant’s operating budget is paid with user fees, and the debt payment and funds transferred to stabilization comes from the plant’s certified retained earnings.

Golden, who also serves as Municipal Light Plant manager, said he had originally planned to split the retained earnings fairly evenly between debt payments and saving for future purchases, but decided to prioritize paying off the debt, which has a current principal balance of $650,000.

“After talking with people in town, particularly our treasurer, we decided it’d make more sense to try to pay down the debt faster,” Golden said.

Golden said the town receives federal funds for the broadband infrastructure though the Connect America Fund, which is then passed to the Municipal Light Plant for debt payments. No taxpayer money is used for broadband services.

He noted that even though increasing the debt payment means less money would be put into the Broadband Stabilization Account, putting $35,000 into stabilization would increase the account to just over $200,000 and the town is still a few years out from having to begin replacing equipment.

Other articles approved included amending town bylaws so the dates of the annual town report coincide with the fiscal year rather than the calendar year, spending $35,000 of the town’s free cash to repair a portion of the Town Offices’ roof, and accepting a state law that allows the town to deny licenses and permits for real estate transfers or building permits if the property owner owes taxes. The town is not allowed to deny dog licenses, open burning permits, marriage licenses, food or beverage permits or hunting permits.

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