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Date: 12/21/2021
HOLYOKE – The Holyoke City Council hosted a special meeting on Dec. 15 to discuss the tax reclassification rate and a money transfer to the personnel director.
According to the council, the general home values went up by five percent and the commercial rates went up about three percent in the last year. With these changes, the council discussed a current tax rate shift. They looked at changing the current tax rate to a 1.667 shift, a 1.6700 shift or a 1.6650 shift.
With these changes, the average tax bill would go up anywhere from $222 to $231. The City Council voted to approve the 1.6675 shift for Fiscal Year 2022.
The council then discussed appropriating a transfer in Fiscal Year 2022 of $4,020 from the head clerk to the personnel director. According to the council, this extra money is because of a vacancy from the personnel director that occurred part-way through the year.
The city is currently looking to fill this position and needs to have enough money in the account to offer a competitive salary. At first, the council made a motion to lay this on the table and wait until their next meeting to get questions answered and to receive public input.
However, Councilor Joseph McGiverin spoke on why this matter should not be tabled. According to McGiverin, the city has had trouble keeping this position filled. In the past, the personnel director position was filled and then vacated soon after when the employee received a higher offer from another town.
“This is an incredibly important position, as we know, for the City of Holyoke,” said McGiverin. “The point is to give the mayor the flexibility of keeping the money in the line item when he’s out there interviewing people and that’s the reason that I asked to pass it tonight. I think if we want to talk to the mayor, his reasoning as to what salary he might be looking at, that’s fine, but it’s clear that the ordinance caps the amount of salary he can offer.”
Mayor Joshua Garcia was in attendance and was given permission to speak on the matter. He said that the city has interviewed three candidates to fill the role and would like to move forward on making an offer.
“Our hands are tied at the moment because the salary range there currently is just not sufficient to secure the candidate,” said Garcia.
By approving this additional money, the mayor would then be able to make the job offer at the necessary pay grade.
“We have a series of HR personnel matters that need attention, and we need somebody in there that’s capable, has the skill and is well-qualified to not only take on the day-to-day challenges that are going on in that office, but also a great deal of catch up work that needs to take place,” he said.
In the end, the council voted to table this motion until the next regular meeting.
Those interested in viewing the Special City Council Meeting in its entirety are encouraged to visit the Holyoke Media page.