The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) recently notified Holyoke officials that they will provide additional reimbursement for the new middle school construction project. The Owner’s Project Manager (Anser Advisory) has estimated the additional funding will be approximately $11.7 million, which would bring the MSBA’s total contribution to an estimated $57.6 million. This would reduce the … Continued
The following is a proposed supplemental budget for FY24 on its way to the City Council for approval (note: these figures are subject to change until final vote of the City Council). Proposed FY24 Supplemental Budget Consolidated Budget Workbook The updated figures are based on current revenue and expense projections to-date including revenue figures from … Continued
HOLYOKE — Mayor Joshua A. Garcia has released his public safety plan — “Ezekiel’s Plan / Operation Safe Streets” — named after the unborn child who died October 7 in a shooting incident on Maple and Sergeant Streets. “Holyoke is a compassionate city,” Garcia stated in the plan’s Executive Summary, “but that commitment to compassion … Continued
HOLYOKE — The City of Holyoke ARPA Small Business Code Compliance Program is opened and accepting applications. This program offers financial assistance to those businesses in need of code compliance updates to resume or continue operations. The City of Holyoke has allocated $800,000.00 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support small businesses with … Continued
Statement from Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia regarding Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) consent decree: A new federal court judgment reduces the Holyoke sewer construction costs from over $170 million in the original partial consent decree to $35 million through 2035. This was a true team effort that allowed the city to effectively make its case … Continued
HOLYOKE — Starting September 18, the Department of Public Works will distribute new, 96-gallon trash carts to city residents. Effective the week of September 25, bags of garbage left in front of homes will no longer be picked up. Garbage placed in cans, containers, or carts other than the city-issued models also will not be … Continued
It’s been about 1 year and 8 months since I took office as Holyoke’s mayor. When I sought office, I had a dollars-and-cents ambition: to strengthen internal controls and better manage our municipal finances. I strongly believed— and still do — that if we cultivate a culture of responsible management, face-to-face communication, and a commitment … Continued
There have been multiple reports of increased Bear sightings in the city. I want to offer some important information for the public to know. From the Holyoke Board of Health Black bears in Massachusetts can pose certain risks to public safety, particularly when they come into close proximity to human-populated areas. While black bears are … Continued
Holyoke ARPA funding recipients To be announced Friday at 1 p.m. HOLYOKE — Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and other city officials will hold a press conference Friday, June 16, at 1 p.m. at Holyoke Media to announce the recipients of the current round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding distributions. The funding recipients and … Continued
On May 16, 2023, Mayor Garcia delivered to the City Council a State of the City presentation along with the proposed FY24 City Budget. The technical summary and the workbook documents of the City Budget can be found here: https://www.holyoke.org/mayors-proposed-fy24-city-budget/ The following is the full text of the Mayor’s State of the City speech – … Continued
