An Open Letter to the Public
The Members of the Holyoke City Council write to you today to ask for your support in the upcoming Special Election on January 28th.
We are asking you, along with the support of the Mayor and the current Treasurer, to change the position of Treasurer from elected to appointed.
Why?
● Professional Expertise: An elected treasurer limits the pool from which we can hire qualified candidates, because any Treasurer must reside in Holyoke in order to be elected. We are a small city with big issues in front of us, and a complicated financial picture. We want to be able to widen our hiring capacity so we can find candidates with extensive and innovative financial experience. This person sometimes lives right here in our city; but sometimes, they may not.
● Accountability: An appointed treasurer would report directly to the City Council with day-to-day oversight being provided by the Mayor. This creates clear lines of accountability and makes it easier to quickly address financial concerns or performance issues.
January 28, 2025 will likely be cold. It may even be snowy. But we ask that you make it a part of your day to make it to the polls on that day between the hours of 7am and 8pm. If you have questions around why the City Council has unanimously voted to ask for your support in this, please reach out by phone or email to any one of us. We would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
The Holyoke City Council