ASHFIELD — Will residents see a ‘greener’ Ashfield in 2050?

Three articles on Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting warrant will play a role in making that vision a reality, as voters will be asked to consider a decarbonization resolution in Article 30, and to eliminate all on-site fossil fuels in town-owned buildings and vehicles over the next 25 years. Residents will also consider adopting a specialized energy code in Article 32 that would provide a more energy-efficient alternative to the state’s current stretch energy code by reducing both greenhouse-gas emissions and the climate impacts of buildings.

Annual Town Meeting will convene at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Town Hall.

Massachusetts is aiming to reach a net-zero emissions goal by 2050, and Ashfield’s resolution states the town “has the potential to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy sources” while electrifying transportation and heating and water systems.

One article calls for a “Zero-Emission First Vehicle Policy” that prioritizes the gradual replacement of town-owned passenger vehicles, pickups and utility trucks with electric vehicles or cars with hybrid fuel sources that reduce carbon emissions. Specialized highway equipment or off-road vehicles would be exempt, at this time. It prioritizes battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles over those running on fossil fuels. Any standard gas vehicles bought or leased must be as fuel-efficient as possible.

The town is to maintain its current fleet of trucks and cars until they are no longer operable, but the town won’t replace any with used vehicles, unless that vehicle is more efficient than what it is replacing. The policy is to be enforced by the Selectboard or the board’s designee.

Meanwhile, the specialized energy code, if adopted, would apply to all new construction of commercial and residential buildings. The goal is to have more energy-efficient structures, and an eventual cost-effective transition to all-electric buildings. The proposal would not apply to existing structures and would not go into effect until January 2025.

For the fiscal year that begins in July, the town is seeking $595,353 for general government expenses; $523,734 for public safety; $915,562 for roads and public works; $69,844 for health and human services; $114,365 for cultural and recreation expenses; and $90,823 for debt services.

The Broadband Enterprise Fund is expected to raise $902,251 from subscriber fees and grants, which will fully cover salaries, operational costs and $492,251 in debt payments this coming fiscal year.

To cover $3.1 million in education costs, the town asks voters to appropriate $312,571 from its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and to raise and appropriate roughly $2.79 million through taxes. The money will pay for vocational education ($435,000), Mohawk Trail Regional School District expenses ($2.6 million) and $30,726 in capital expenses for district schools.

Altogether, the requested $7.2 million total operations budget represents a 1.7% increase from the current spending level.

Other articles on Saturday’s warrant include:

■A Proposition 2½ levy-limit override for $225,000 to buy a Highway Department dump truck, with a sander and plow. The town has already appropriated $100,000 for this vehicle, and voters’ override approval would enable the town to order the vehicle now, at what may be a lower price than waiting another year to allocate the funds gradually. However, town officials hope to find grants or other available town revenue to reduce the need to use the approved override funding.

■A proposal to create a Grant Match Stabilization Fund, so that the matching funds that are needed when grants are awarded to the town will be readily available. If the fund’s creation is approved in Article 27, a second article asks voters to deposit $312,571 of Ashfield’s ARPA funds into the account.

■Capital expenditures of $32,000, which would include $20,000 for a sewer system upgrade for Belding Memorial Library, to connect it to the town’s sewer system instead of its old septic system.

■A revote on revisions to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District agreement that would change the formula for town assessments. Although Ashfield approved these revisions in 2023, not all district member towns did, so the vote must be taken again.

■A citizen’s petition asking the town to register its opposition to all pesticide and herbicide spraying within town boundaries. Last year, residents submitted a petition to stop the state from conducting roadside spraying, but were told Ashfield has no authority to prevent the state from doing so. The petitioners would like Ashfield to officially register its opposition through Town Meeting action.

To view the full 33-article warrant, visit tinyurl.com/AshfieldATMWarrant2024.

An earlier version of this article included incorrect information regarding when residents will begin voting on articles at Town Hall. Annual Town Meeting will convene at Town Hall at 10 a.m. There is no preceding Special Town Meeting this year.