Athol Finance Committee Backs $200,000 Mahar Fix for Special Town Meeting

ATHOL — June 22, 2026 — Athol Finance Committee votes unanimously to recommend a $200,000 fix for the Mahar Regional School District assessment at a June 29 special town meeting. The 6-0 vote, taken at the committee's June 22 meeting, backs a plan to increase the fiscal year 2027 revenue projection by $75,000 — reflecting a projected drop in school-choice-out charges from roughly $539,000 to $426,000 under the House and Senate state budgets — and to draw $125,000 from free cash, leaving approximately $3,750 in that account. Member Kathy Reineck, who proposed the approach, pushed back on skeptics, saying the revenue adjustment was "a logical reading of the document" rather than speculation, while member Bruce Gratz acknowledged the estimate "could wind up leaving us short again in the fall, although only by $75,000 or less." Town Accountant Matt Cahill noted the total proposed FY27 budget of $29,282,655.76 would still be roughly $10,000 less than the current year's spending.