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Candidates at Holyoke forum broadly back language‑access policies, cite Spanish‑speaking demographics
Summary
Candidates at a Holyoke Media bilingual forum pushed for bilingual services, translated materials and interpreters; some proposed a formal language‑access policy and hiring priorities for bilingual staff.
Language access emerged as a central policy discussion at the Holyoke Media bilingual forum, with multiple candidates proposing both immediate fixes and longer‑term policy changes.
Christopher Donay cited demographic figures — saying the city is "51 to 54% Hispanic," that about "47% of the citizens speak Spanish" and that roughly "12% of Holyoke households only speak Spanish" — and argued the city should adopt a formal language‑access policy. "Translation is not that hard anymore," Donay said, urging the use of technology and, eventually, a language officer if budgets permit.
Other candidates described practical steps already in use and additional measures they would press for. Kevin Jourdain pointed to bilingual ballots and interpreters at council meetings and urged department heads to be accountable for accessibility. "These type of things that were controversial then, which are not controversial today," he said, referencing earlier bilingual voting measures.
Patricia Devine recommended multilingual signage in city offices, a bilingual city website and phone lines to secure on‑the‑spot interpretation for in‑person visitors. Tessa Murphy Ramboletti said outreach should emphasize partnerships with community organizations and culturally appropriate communications rather than expecting residents to come to city hall.
Candidates also raised the need to include non‑Spanish language communities: Israel Rivera highlighted a growing Haitian population and encouraged working with the school department to leverage existing translation capacity.
None of the candidates presented an enacted ordinance during the forum; most framed their proposals as priorities for council‑level policy or administrative action. Several said implementation would depend on budget availability and committee work; candidates urged immediate, low‑cost steps (signage, translated web pages, interpreter phone lines) combined with a longer‑term plan for a citywide language‑access policy.
