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Council sends municipal-modernization and charter changes to committee; central finance budget returned to mayor for supplemental
Summary
A broad municipal-modernization package — including proposed charter changes and ordinances to create administrative/finance positions and to modernize appointment processes — was sent to Charter & Rules and Ordinance committees for further review; the proposed central finance department budget was sent back to the mayor to await a supplemental.
The Holyoke City Council used its June 30 special meeting to route an extensive municipal-modernization package and multiple charter and ordinance amendments to committee rather than taking final votes.
Councilors voted to suspend the rules to consider several charter items (14–16) as a package and to keep them in Charter & Rules. They also agreed to send a set of ordinance proposals (including a substitute municipal modernization ordinance, creation of a chief administrative and financial officer position, and updates to personnel/human resources ordinances) to the Ordinance Committee for amendment and public committee review (items 17–19, 25). Late-filed charter amendments (items 26–32) were also referred to Charter & Rules to allow legal review and public consideration before a final vote.
Councilor Jardine (Jourdain in parts of the record) and other councilors said the intent is to keep momentum on the reforms but give members and the public time to review substantial documents and proposed amendments. Councilor McGasssmith (McGrath Smith in parts of the record) and others asked for explicit circulation of the changed language and for committee meetings to be publicly posted so members of the public can see amendments and rationale.
Regarding the proposed central finance department (item 24) — a proposal to centralize some finance functions — councilors agreed to send the item back to the mayor. Councilors said the mayor intends to file a supplemental budget in August to fund any approved consolidation so the council can act after committee and public review.
Ending Councilors said they expect committee meetings in July and to return to the full council in August with amended language and supplemental budgets as appropriate; the process is intended to be public and to allow time for legal review and amendments.
