Editor’s note: As a new year arrives, 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 will be shared in two parts.
Another year has come and gone, and as town officials across western Franklin County contemplate what 2026 will bring, a few recurring themes have emerged: maintaining momentum on long-term projects and tackling roadwork and bridge repairs without breaking the bank.
Ashfield
In Ashfield, Town Administrator Paul McLatchy III said 2026 will be dedicated to infrastructure improvements, both in planning for future projects and some actual construction.
“The town is hoping to work on long-term infrastructure investments. Just this fall, voters approved funding an extra $450,000 toward bridge repairs to help keep bridges in good condition,” McLatchy said. “As we had a major bridge closure in town that is affecting work commutes, emergency services and general travel, I believe town officials will be examining how best to approach long-term sustainability with our most expensive assets.”
McLatchy said the town will work to reopen the Williamsburg Road Bridge, install a solar array at the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Highway Garage, and conduct an “architectural review of Town Hall to see if it can be made better for the work of town offices while preserving the historic character.”
While voters approved appropriating money for multiple bridge projects, and the town received a $870,000 grant for the solar project, McLatchy said the town will need to continue seeking and advocating for state and federal funding in 2026 to support infrastructure, particularly as one of the biggest challenges of 2025 — the uncertainty of federal dollars — is expected to continue.
“We still don’t know exactly how the state will be impacted, and if it is, how that will trickle down to communities. While Ashfield does not utilize federal funds on a regular basis, changes could force the state to alter its budget, which could cut spending on areas that do affect us,” McLatchy said. “We simply don’t know enough at this time and may not know for a while longer. We think it’s safe to say that state support for larger projects is unlikely to materialize for a few years until things stabilize.”
With the state expected to tighten its belt in response to federal budget cuts, McLatchy said Ashfield, too, will be discussing what it can do to keep its budget stable. He noted he expects officials will continue exploring health insurance options and discuss with community members the proposed changes involving the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional school districts. The districts are exploring a renovation and addition, or potentially a new building, at the Mohawk Trail Regional School campus in Buckland in pursuit of consolidating all students in the two districts to a single campus.
Charlemont
While the town does not have any specific construction projects currently planned, Charlemont Town Administrator Sarah Reynolds said the town will also be focused on infrastructure in 2026, particularly bridge repairs and maintenance, which was noted as a priority in its Master Plan.
“In 2026, Charlemont will focus on implementing the Master Plan. Continued road and bridge planning will remain a priority, as will preparing town infrastructure for more frequent and severe weather events and continued conversations on how to sustain emergency services,” Reynolds said.
Fire Chief Dennis Annear is set to retire next spring, and the town will prepare for the transition in the coming months. Charlemont officials are planning to hire a shared fire chief with the town of Rowe, while working with the Legislature to form a regional fire district for the two towns.
Last spring, voters in both towns approved petitioning the state Legislature. Since then, H.4482, “An Act Establishing a Regional Fire District and Department for the Towns of Charlemont and Rowe,” has been reported out favorably by the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, which is expected to review it in 2026.
Reynolds said town officials will continue to tackle the same challenges they faced in 2025, and will follow the guidance of the Master Plan and the Open Space and Recreation Plan.
“In 2025, Charlemont made important progress while continuing to face challenges common to small rural towns. Ongoing issues included limited housing options, affordability concerns, aging infrastructure, and the increasing impacts of more frequent and severe storms,” Reynolds said. “A major accomplishment was the adoption of the Charlemont Master Plan, updating the town’s long-term vision for housing, land use, economic development, transportation and climate resilience. Residents also approved investments in community recreation, including upgrades to the Hawlemont Regional School tennis courts into a multi-use, ADA-accessible facility.”
The plan states that high-level action items for the town should include creating a local business association; creating a document detailing hiking, biking and skiing trails in town; and adopting an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) bylaw, among others.
Heath
2026 will be a transitional period for Heath, said Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner, as she is set to retire at the end of the first week of January and hand the reins over to 20-year-old Mia Francesconi. Sumner has been the town coordinator for six years, has been involved in town government for 32 years, and previously served as town clerk, Selectboard member and Zoning Board of Appeals member.
“I’m going to really, really miss you in the position,” Selectboard Chair Robyn Provost-Carlson told Sumner during a Dec. 16 Selectboard meeting. “I’m excited for the future, and I’m very sad that you’re not going to be here.”
Sumner has agreed to stay on in an as-needed contract role to answer questions and support the Selectboard and Francesconi during the transition.
Additionally, in 2026, the Selectboard hopes to make progress on other long-term goals, such as increasing resident involvement through serving on boards and committees or joining the Fire Department, as well as looking for creative ways to cut costs and raise revenue outside of property taxes.
“They want to explore creative ways to help fund repairs, renovations, miscellaneous projects for town-owned buildings, explore ways to recruit younger residents for town government, and other ways to volunteer in town and continue to discuss and explore the possibility of shared services with neighboring communities,” Sumner said.
Sumner noted that continued discussion on the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont school districts’ single-campus idea is something the board hopes to remain actively involved in. The board will also be exploring other ways to regionalize, such as continuing discussions with Colrain around creating a shared police department and other emergency services.
Sumner added that the Selectboard hopes to also resurface and upgrade Colrain Stage and Number Nine roads.
Shelburne
Like its neighbors, Shelburne will be working on continuing infrastructure/facility improvement projects while striving to keep its taxpayers in mind.
“Perhaps my biggest concern and goal, that is and always will be long-term, is keeping a small town fiscally sound. Providing residents with a safe and sound community is incredibly costly. The pressure of school budgets, over which we have very limited control, is staggering. The currently skyrocketing costs of health insurance for town employees is a moving target of which we have absolutely no control,” Selectboard Chair Rick LaPierre said. “For me, that boils down to our departments, administrative employees, the Finance Committee and Selectboard to diligently work together to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities with sound and prudent budgets, which will hopefully be able to absorb the unexpected happenings of running a town.”
LaPierre said there are a few specific action items the Selectboard hopes to achieve in 2026, including continuing renovations of the Memorial Hall theater, sewer pump upgrades and efforts to make town-owned buildings more energy efficient. With a Department of Energy Resources grant, the town will study the Police Station and what can be done to make the building more energy efficient. He added that the town’s emergency management director is exploring the feasibility of using Cowell Gymnasium as a cooling and warming center.
The town will also continue to seek grant funding for various projects, such as replacing the decking for the Glacial Potholes viewing deck, LaPierre said. While thinking about the town’s needs and the capacity of its current staff and volunteers, creating additional positions in town may be worth exploring in 2026 as well.
“I personally would like to see two positions established: a facilities manager and a grant writer,” LaPierre said. “Handling our own small facilities repairs and maintenance and spotting issues that will need attention to avoid them becoming bigger problems would be prudent. Getting grants is a major part of getting projects done, which improve the health, safety and quality of life for towns like Shelburne.”