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Ordinance committee recommends lowering ordinance passage threshold to simple majority
Summary
The ordinance committee voted to recommend an amendment to Chapter 2 §9 to require a simple majority of the full City Council for ordinance adoption, with exceptions for matters required by charter or state law. The measure advanced after debate over consensus and checks on majority rule.
The Holyoke City Ordinance Committee voted to recommend an amendment to Chapter 2, section 2-9, to require that ordinances and amendments “shall require an affirmative vote of a simple majority of the full city council,” except where the charter or state law requires a different threshold.
Chair Meg McGath called up the order and the committee debated whether to retain a supermajority rule. Councillor Vacon argued in favor of the change, saying the existing supermajority requirement “has been a considerable hindrance” and prevents a majority from testing policies and acting quickly when needed. “This rule as it currently stands requires a supermajority for any change to our ordinances,” Vacon said, adding that restoring simple-majority voting would let the council “experiment” and move more nimbly.
A different member of the committee spoke in opposition, arguing that requiring a higher threshold had encouraged additional public debate on consequential matters and helped secure broader support for major changes; that speaker said the supermajority requirement had “been a good tool” for the city.
City Solicitor Michael Beset advised re-inserting language to preserve exceptions required by state law—specifically zoning changes governed by the state zoning act—and recommended a friendly amendment to retain a clause “required by our charter or by state law.” Beset also noted related subsections that address vote quantities for particular matters.
After floor amendments to the drafted text, the committee recorded a recommendation in favor of the change by a 3–1 vote, with one councilor absent. The motion will be forwarded to the full City Council in the ordinance committee's recommended form.
What happens next: The ordinance now moves to the full City Council for consideration with committee recommendation and the solicitor’s clarified language about legal exceptions. The committee record notes Israel Rivera as absent for the vote.
