State of the City Address The public is invited to observe at the upcoming Special City Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 6pm where I, Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, will be delivering the proposed FY26 City Budget and sharing the State of the City Address. Mayor’s Budget Narrative The proposed FY26 City of Holyoke budget reflects current revenue … Continued
The City of Holyoke will be hosting the annual 4th of July fireworks on Friday, June 27 (with a rain-date of June 29). The event will take place on the grounds of Holyoke Community College, at 303 Homestead Avenue. This event is sponsored by Holyoke Gas and Electric. And we are thankful for our partnership … Continued
“Why are my taxes so high?” Fair question! There are about three budget busters driving your high taxes but there is one in particular I want to highlight. When it comes to your property tax there’s a little-known but very substantial contributing factor: the public employee pension appropriation. Unlike public safety, schools, or roads, the … Continued
At an April City Council meeting an order was taken up and forwarded to appropriate committees (Charter and Rules Committee and Ordinance Committee) along with a 20 page document introducing a suite of changes to the city ordinances and city charter. These changes specifically aim to modernize and achieve efficiencies in how financial resources are managed. The … Continued
The Adopt-an-Island program in the City of Holyoke is a program the Mayor’s office has been organizing for decades and has been a source of pride in our community. The program welcomes residents and local businesses to voluntarily take over empty lots or “islands” in high traffic areas of the city and beautify them by … Continued
With warmer days ahead, I want to remind the community (residents and businesses alike) of our shared responsibility to keep our city clean. This is extremely important, not only because it’s required by our city laws but because it’s the right thing to do for each other and for our environment. This means making sure … Continued
HOLYOKE — In an announcement welcomed by City officials, the Standard & Poor (S&P) rating agency has affirmed Holyoke’s A+ bond rating and given Holyoke high marks for its financial management policies. Click to review report. S&P also assigned the City its “SP-1+” short-term rating for $32.2 million in bond anticipation notes (BANs). SP-1+ is … Continued
A policy designed to gain revenue from tax-exempt property owners was presented to a City Council subcommittee Tuesday. Known as a PILOT — Payment in Lieu of Taxes — the purpose of the policy is to bring in a portion of the money a tax-exempt property (for example, properties owned by non-profit organizations and quasi-public institutions) would … Continued
The new budget preparation season is here! A memo to all departments with instructions for the FY26 budget planning process was distributed today. To review memo click here. While departments work on their first draft budget requests, just like in previous years, the Mayor will be connecting with City Councilors one-on-one to go over their objectives … Continued
HOLYOKE — In response to the impending winter snowstorm and low temperatures, the City of Holyoke announces the opening of an emergency shelter dedicated to providing refuge for the unhoused population. The location is 51 Hamilton Street. Access is through Kate’s Kitchen door in the back parking lot. The shelter will open at 5 p.m. … Continued
