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Date: 10/30/2023
HOLYOKE — Candidates across five of the city’s seven wards joined at Holyoke Media on Oct. 21 for a bilingual candidate forum as the Nov. 7 election is nearing.
The forum jumped right in, going ward by ward and putting the two candidates in each race up against each other to plead their case for their ward and what they can offer the city as a councilor.
Ward 1 incumbent Jenny Rivera and newcomer Victor Machado De Jesus were both asked what experience and abilities they have that would benefit their ward and the city, and what issue they feel most effects residents in the city and their own ward and how they would work to resolve it. All candidates were given the same prompt for their statements during the forum.
Machado De Jesus said he wants to find solutions to immediate needs if he were to be elected, and to help plan a new approach in solving systemic problems through a long-term strategic action plan. While he did not specify on an issue, he said he was committed to advocating for social justice and working with the community.
Rivera said she feels she brings a diverse set of experiences and abilities that benefit her ward and the entire city.
“Community engagement has given me the understanding of the issues not only my ward but the city faces,” Rivera said. “Working as a city councilor, I have effectively advocated for different needs and collaborating with the police department and other agencies throughout the city.”
Rivera said one of the issues she believes the city and state faces is homelessness and tenant protection rights. She added rent control is an option that should be considered in combating homelessness, and added city officials working together on it will only aid the efforts.
Ward 2 candidates Carmen Yolanda Ocasio and Jannelle Mojica are looking to fill the seat being left open by current Ward 2 Councilor Will Puello not running for reelection.
Mojica said she brings motivation, initiative, teamwork, leadership skills, problem solving and flexibility to the position. She added in Ward 2 many are suffering at the hands of crimes committed by young teens in the community.
“[These teens committing crimes] need someone to step in with firm compassion and mentor them through programs that educate them. Entrepreneurial business leaders who can teach other young teens how to overcome the trauma of a broken home,” Mojica said.
Ocasio said she has lived in the city for 48 years and has seen many ups and downs over the years. She added she has experience through Wayfinders and has always been happy to volunteer within her community which has instilled her passion for the city.
“I am very passionate about Holyoke, especially the kids and teens. So I’ve been trying to fight to get more stuff done for the kids to get involved so they stay out of trouble. I talk to all of the kids in my neighborhood, and I try to lead them the right way. Some listen, others don’t,” Ocasio said.
She added people in the city have forgotten about those with disabilities and cited accessibility issues in neighborhood streets and sidewalks of her ward create challenges. She also added she will be an advocate for public safety as many residents in her ward have expressed to her, they fear coming outside at times.
“That’s sad,” Ocasio said. “The people that know me they know what I’ve been doing all these years through volunteering and other stuff. It speaks for itself, I’m just me.”
Ward 3 sees incumbent David Bartley face off against Anne Thalheimer. Thalheimer has been an artist and educator in the city for several years which, according to her, has given her countless opportunities speaking and learning from others.
“I think that’s one of my skills not just as an educator but as a compassionate human,” Thalheimer said. “Often when people engage with city government, they do it because something is wrong. What I’m looking forward to are having the conversations where things are going right and having those opportunities for residents to get involved in their own city government.”
One of these things specifically to Ward 3 is traffic, according to Thalheimer. Through speaking with her neighbors, there have been many concerns raised about traffic concerns for bikers and walkers of the ward. She added there was at one point a crosswalk lacking an updated paint job which was adding to traffic safety concerns in the area. Thalheimer said eventually she reach out to a city councilor who was able to file an order and address the crosswalk, an example of the type of councilor she hopes to be and action she hopes to take if elected.
“It shouldn’t just be people who are there because they know people or have family connections, it should be people there working with the residents to make the ward better together and I think that’s where my skill as an educator and empathetic listener comes into play, because city government belongs to all of us and if we don’t open those doors and make it accessible to everyone we are short changing the ward and the city,” Thalheimer said.
Bartley has been on the City Council for 12 years and has been actively engaged in the community through civic and fraternal organizations as well as volunteerism. Bartley lives and owns a business in the ward and went to ward 3 schools.
“I’m very accessible. Moreover, I think I had total 55 public meetings over the course of my first six years in office. Half the time at Metcalf, half the time at a restaurant,” Bartley said. He added for the last eight years he has written a newsletter relative to Ward 3 and added he would stack up his educational and professional background against anybody.
In terms of issues for the ward, Bartley said he thinks Ward 3 is not particular to the city. He said every ward and part of the city has traffic issues, but to Thalheimer’s comment crosswalks, lane markings and pavings have been ongoing all over Ward 3 for the last two years.
“It’s been a tremendous boon for the ward, she can shake her head all she wants but if you walk around the ward its really impressive how much work has been done,” Bartley said.
He added that crime was certainly a huge issue in the city, and said he was proud to have sponsored and voted for the ShotSpotter grant for the city.
“I think it’s going to help to deter crime,” Bartley said.
In Ward 4, candidate Ruth Garcia could not attend so incumbent Kocayne Givner gave her thoughts about why she is the right choice to return as councilor.
“Being the incumbent I’ve had an 18-month crash course in municipal government, and that’s really helped me in understanding how to steer our residents in the directions they need to get the questions answered that they have,” Givner said.
She added a top problem in her ward is housing insecurity , alongside drug-related violence. She said continued work with the Police Department and continuing to encourage certain orders put in past council meetings for approval would assist in this issue. As an example, she cited an order previously filed to create the community responder model in the city that would work with the Police Department that will include an office of tenant protections.
Ward 5 has incumbent Linda Vacon against challenger for the second straight election Guy O’Donnell. Vacon could not attend the forum but did provide a response to the prompt question.
Vacon’s comments described her time prior to becoming a councilor. She was a nurse leader in different organizations, where she was able to utilize her clinical and managerial skills to lead and develop programs and home health services for those wishing to be cared for at home.
“As a nurse and an executive in health care, helping others and solving problems are key to successful results. I concentrate heavily on serving the needs of the ward, but also devote time and energy to keeping informed on the broader issues of our city such as the budget, tax rates and overall affordability,” Vacon said.
Vacon added some key issues of the ward was public safety and quality of life, high taxes on homeowners, business owners and renters. She added the recent increase of violence in the city is ‘having a chilling effect,” and that people avoid these areas in the city and it creates issues of city’s attraction for businesses.
She also noted high taxes, $600 more per year for the average homeowner compared to Chicopee, have people concerned about the ability to remain a resident of Holyoke mixed with the high costs of groceries and health care.
Vacon added support is needed for police and neighbors, and the community needs to come together and use the “neighborhood concept” where everyone is looking out for one another. She also added laws must be enforced no matter how minor or major the violation is.
“When traffic laws are ignored because they’re not perceived as important enough to enforce it appears to lead to more negative actions overall,” Vacon said.
O’Donnell said his background in politics was fighting and organizing against “dark money” in politics. Through the nonpartisan group, O’Donnell became state director. His experience working with both sides of the aisle is one reason he feels qualified for the Ward 5 council seat.
“This experience taught me how to see from other peoples perspectives and work together with them to find real solutions,” O’Donnell said. “As your city councilor, I’ll being a culture of respect and cooperation, and cooperation to help the city move forward.”
O’Donnell said while there are many issues across the community, a big picture priority seems to be improving on addressing the need for infrastructure.
“Residents of Ward 5 have very simple asks for simple things, whether its painting a sidewalk or crosswalk, or filling potholes, it should not take three years to do this,” O’Donnell said. “To do this right you first need to have good communication with residents, you need to be showing up.”
O’Donnell said in the last two years he has knocked on over 3,000 doors and added it has helped him get a good sense for what residents in the ward want and need. He referenced when he ran two years ago for the seat he met with a homeowner who had three potholes outside their home, constantly creating loud sounds from cars driving over them. Two years later O’Donnell said this specific issue has still yet to be fixed.
“You need to get the small things right, and the big things,” he added.
Running uncontested for Ward 6 is incumbent Juan Anderson-Burgos but he was absent from the forum as he wanted to step back and allow for the contested races to have the floor.
Ward 7 is open following Council President Todd McGee announcing he is not seeking reelection earlier this year, giving newcomer council candidates Eileen Brady Leahy and Meagan Magrath-Smith the chance to square off and fill the role.
Magrath-Smith has been a teacher for 17 years and has chaired a few different city committees including most recently for the CPA committee. She spoke about her outreach to the ward and finding out the issues on those residents minds.
“The issues that rose to the top are traffic enforcement, infrastructure, and really wanting strong communication between the city government and its residents,” Magrath-Smith said. “People in Ward 7 know there are six other wards and they know the city budget is stretched thin but they want to make sure that their issues also matter and that their concerns are heard.”
She added it’s the job of the City Council to engage with residents to understand the concerns and priorities are of the constituents being served and focus on getting things done related to the issue.
Brady Leahy said her experience and abilities that she brings to the ward include a common sense approach to problem solving, and being an independent thinker to be able to meet the needs of all citizens. She added as a practicing attorney her negotiation skills are a pro she could bring to the council.
“I’m an effective advocate and I know how to maintain respect with my adversaries and make sure all concerns are met,” she added.
Brady Leahy has been a member of the Conservation Commission for 14 years and 12 years on the License Board, and added this experience has given her an intimate understanding of how city government works.
She added the biggest issues facing Ward 7 are quality of life issues such as sidewalks and infrastructure and that public safety is a main concern city wide. She added police need year round support and not just when tragedy strikes.
The full Bilingual Candidate Forum is available on the Holyoke Media YouTube page.