Holyoke committee tables plan to divert handicap-parking fines to disabilities commission

Holyoke City Finance Committee members on Tuesday discussed a request from the Commission on Disabilities to accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 22G so that funds from handicap-parking fines could be deposited in an independent account for the commission, but the committee voted to table the matter until June 24 for further information.

The discussion centered on how much money the city currently collects from handicap-parking violations and whether adoption of the state statute would require depositing “all funds” from such fines into a separate commission account. Lynn Horan, chair of the Commission on Disabilities, told the committee the city’s tax collector reported roughly 850 handicap-parking tickets in the five-year period she reviewed and that the basic fine is $300, which she said equates “roughly” to $255,000 over five years. Horan and commission members said the commission seeks a $36,000 budget allocation for fiscal 2025 and described the separate account as a way to ensure a revolving, dedicated budget for disability services.

Why it matters: Chapter 40, Section 22G authorizes any city or town that has accepted the related provisions to deposit handicap-parking fine revenue in a separate account “to be used solely for the benefit of persons with disability,” and requires annual accounting. Committee members said they want clearer data on what “all funds” would mean in practice, how enforcement costs and staff time are presently covered, and how many fines are collected and actually paid before adopting a statutory change that could alter general-fund receipts.

Committee members pressed for details. Councilor Jourdain and others asked for the treasurer’s and tax collector’s itemized breakdowns by year and by issuing officer, and raised the possibility of offsetting enforcement time-on-task (payroll, vehicles, uniform costs) before transferring revenue away from the general fund. Councilor Izzy Rivera urged tracking “time on task” for officers who issue tickets so the city can estimate enforcement costs and sustainability. Kelly Curran, the city’s ADA officer and personnel director, said the council and mayor have supported a $36,000 allocation in the budget and urged the committee to consider whether future councils or mayors would maintain funding if a statutory change is not adopted.

The committee did not take final action on adopting the statute. Councilor Sullivan moved to table the item so staff could provide the requested accounting and enforcement-cost estimates; the motion passed. The committee set a target date of June 24 to reconvene the item, and members suggested inviting Jeffrey Dugan of the Massachusetts Office on Disability to brief the committee by phone or in person if his schedule allows.

The committee and the commission agreed to exchange the detailed ticket and revenue reports provided by the treasury and tax collector ahead of the June 24 meeting, including the list of handicap-parking tickets and the commission’s proposed line-item plan for the $36,000 request.