WARWICK — Town meeting voters passed a $1.89 million town budget Monday night and approved borrowing $240,000 to help modernize the town’s existing wireless Internet system.

The meeting was held in Town Hall directly after a special town meeting, during which voters approved spending $3,000 to support Montague’s efforts against the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline as well as $20,000 for the Broadband Enterprise Fund to pay the service’s Internet fees for the rest of the fiscal year.

The Selectboard’s proposed town budget was amended from $1,882,191 to $1,895,045, up from this year’s $1,785,450 budget.

The increases came from amendments made to the public safety budget, which include hose testers for the Fire Department as well as an increase to the education budget.

Pioneer Valley Regional School Committee member Martha Morse made an amendment to increase the Selectboard’s recommended amount of $833,318 for Warwick’s Pioneer assessment to the district’s requested amount of $843,647, which was approved.

For the district’s budget to pass, three of its four towns must approve their respective assessments.

Northfield and Bernardston already approved the higher number during its town meetings, and Leyden, the remaining town in the district, will vote May 14.

Because the school budget passed, an article was pushed forward that would give town employees a 4.5 percent raise, for a total cost to the town of $13,600.

Town Coordinator David Young said school employees such as teachers and paraprofessionals get pay increases under their contracts that total about 4.5 percent every year.

“The Selectboard agreed with me that we ought to give town employees 4.5 percent once,” he said.

Morse disagreed, however, saying the increase was like comparing apples to oranges.

The vote was too close to call by voice and came to a hand count. It passed 36-32.

Voters also approved the borrowing of $240,000 for faster Internet, which will be used to help modernize the existing wireless Internet system within the town.

Warwick Broadband Committee Chairman Tom Wyatt said the town-owned business serves 180 households in town, but only about a quarter get fast service by today’s standards. To make the necessary technical upgrades, Warwick Broadband hired an engineering consultant this year who has designed a system that will be accessible to all permanent households in town.

Wyatt said interest payments would start in about a year and would be paid by revenue from the service, meaning there would be no tax effect. Young added subscription rates also will not increase and the work will be done before the winter.

An article to adopt a petition that would protect citizens’ firearms rights anywhere in town, whether on public or private property, was passed over by voters.

The petition, created by Warwick resident Adam Holloway, was a symbolic effort to challenge the Selectboard’s policy that bans firearms from being carried at town meetings.

The petition had gathered enough signatures to be brought before voters this year, but the majority voted to pass over the article.