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Holyoke building department loses part-time clerk as mayor trims proposed budget; department seeks demolition funding and property maintenance supervisor
Summary
Building department director told council Tuesday the mayor removed a part-time clerk position and cut a requested demolition line; the department gained a full-time local inspector and a funded property maintenance and demolition supervisor to address a backlog of dangerous buildings.
Leslie, the Building Department representative, told the Holyoke City Council on June 9 that the mayor—s proposed fiscal 2026 budget eliminated a part-time clerk position she had requested be made full time. "I had put in for making that person a full time clerk... that position actually was eliminated completely," Leslie said during the public hearing.
The building department will retain two recently filled operational positions: a full-time local inspector who began work within the prior week, and a property maintenance and demolition supervisor that the mayor—s budget funded and the department has filled. Leslie said those two hires are intended to begin addressing a backlog of dangerous and deteriorating properties, and to prioritize the most dangerous structures for city action.
On demolition funding, Leslie said she requested $100,000 for a city demolition line to address municipally owned properties but the mayor—sincluded $20,000 in the proposal. "The revolving fund is intended for private property only... we don't have a fund except for this for city owned properties that may have to be, taken down," she said. Councilors pressed for clarity on how the workload of the eliminated clerk will be absorbed; Leslie said an intern is covering some duties through August but that the office is still seeking a long-term solution.
Councilors asked for percentage changes and staffing details. Leslie agreed to provide figures later by email. Several councilors praised the hiring of the local inspector and the reestablished property maintenance post as steps toward more active enforcement and demolition of dangerous structures. At least one councilor asked about whether a floating clerk shared among departments might fill the vacancy; personnel and Board of Health arrangements were discussed as possible interim solutions.
The council—s budget hearing kept the focus on operational trade-offs: the building department will operate with fewer clerical resources while gaining enforcement capacity, and several councilors requested follow-up data on year-to-year budget changes and the proposed allocation for demolition.
