Editor’s note: To mark the start of a new year, the Greenfield Recorder is publishing stories about what Franklin County residents can likely expect to see happening in their towns in 2026. Details about projects in the western part of the county were shared in two parts.
A new year has begun, and in western Franklin County, the towns of Buckland, Colrain, Hawley and Rowe are looking at financial planning, regionalization and infrastructure improvements for 2026.
Buckland
2025 was a year of change and transitions, with the hiring of a new town administrator, tax collector, director of assessing and chief operator at the Wastewater Treatment Facility. In 2026, Town Administrator Pam Guyette said her goal is to bring stability to the town.
“My goal is to go back to basics a bit, and support the boards and committees the best that I can as they explore and identify their priorities for Buckland in the future,” she said.
Guyette said that in 2025, the town finished up several construction projects, including Upper North Street drainage and paving, a Conway Street Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) project and a new salt shed at the Highway Garage. No construction is planned in 2026, and Buckland intends to spend the year preparing for and budgeting for future projects.
“In 2026, we hope to navigate the uncertain waters of health insurance premiums,” Guyette said. Buckland’s insurance provider is the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust. “We are also looking at the costs associated with the construction of a new Franklin County Technical School and potential changes to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District campus.”
The Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont regional school districts are exploring changes to their regional agreements that would allow for a single-campus district, and they are in the eligibility phase with the Massachusetts School Building Authority to look at a potential renovation or construction of a new building at the Mohawk Trail Regional School site.
Guyette went on to say that Buckland will “continue to seek funding to support upkeep and repairs to our roadways, to mitigate climate change, to better support an aging population, and continue to encourage recreation within our town and utilize the resources that we have.”
Colrain
Town Administrator Diana Parsons said the focus of 2026 will be on infrastructure improvements, staffing and financial planning.
“Overall, we have to deal with our ongoing infrastructure that needs to be refurbished and modernized,” Parsons explained. “For example, Charlemont Road closed in 2022 and we’re trying to reopen that. … Our culverts and bridges need work, so we’re just trying to keep working on that.”
Parsons added that in the coming months, the town will build its budget and develop long-term financial plans to prepare for potential construction projects at Franklin County Technical School, as well as future bridge projects and roadwork.
While it may not happen in 2026 or even fiscal year 2027, Parsons said town officials will begin planning for the eventual retirements of the fire chief and treasurer, as well as continue discussions on regionalization of services. In October 2025, the town began discussions with Heath about the possibility of regionalizing the Police Department.
“I’m not sure that’ll happen in FY27, but it’s something to plan for,” Parsons said. “That’s going to be a huge challenge and opportunity for the town.”
Parsons said the town will also be thinking about the staffing of other departments. In 2025, the town hired several new Highway Department employees, and in 2026, it would like to budget to hire officers at the Police Department.
“This last year, getting to have a full Highway Department with a strong team was a huge challenge, and I’m grateful we got that done,” she said. “It’s been a huge focus, and I’m proud we’re going to keep going and we’re gonna continue to build our Police Department.”
She added that she hopes 2026 will be the year the town finally finds a solution to its sewer needs. The town has been working with the Colrain Sewer District to determine how to address the waste created by households in Griswoldville, which the Barnhardt Manufacturing Co. plant previously treated before its spring 2023 closure. A public meeting will be held in early March to review Sewer District plans.
“That’s something that was being discussed when I first started in town,” said Parsons, who started her career in public administration in Colrain in 2000. “Twenty-five years later, we’re finally going to have a resolution.”
Hawley
Hawley residents can expect 2026 to be the year of infrastructure improvements, Administrative Assistant Tinky Weisblat said. The town will begin engineering work for improvements to the Dugway, which is a particularly curvy and hazardous stretch of West Hawley Road (Route 8A). The town will also look for grants to support other projects.
“In terms of construction, Hawley is still hoping to get some funding for culvert replacement at King Corner in West Hawley,” Weisblat said. “We are excited that we have a grant from the state to get some engineering work done for redesigning the Dugway, an extremely challenging part of Route 8A that has needed help for years.”
Weisblat added that the town will look at its emergency services departments in 2026, both in terms of what improvements can be made in the immediate future and whether regionalization would make operations more sustainable in the long term.
“We have some of the same desires in terms of emergency services that we have had for some time,” Weisblat said. “We would love it if our Fire Station could have actual bathrooms and room for all our fire trucks. And we are in talks with other towns to try to create some kind of West County Ambulance.”
Rowe
While town officials did not respond to requests for comment on their priorities for 2026, a special town election will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7, to fill a vacancy on the Selectboard. Candidates Wayne Zavotka and Ed Silva, who both currently serve on the Finance Committee, are running to fill the seat of Marilyn Wilson, who stepped down in the fall.
According to Selectboard meeting minutes, 2026 will also be a big year for infrastructure upgrades, as the town is working on improvement and replacement projects on Yankee Road, the Tunnel Road Bridge, the Sam Rice Brook Bridge and others. Meanwhile, the Library Feasibility Committee will continue working on designs for potential library renovations.
Town officials are also expected to continue discussions on financial planning and staffing transitions, particularly as they work with Charlemont to hire a shared fire chief and plan the creation of a regional fire district.