Chicopee City Council Unanimously Appoints Steffenhagen as City Auditor

CHICOPEE -- May 15, 2026, Chicopee City Council unanimously appoints 19-year city employee as new auditor. The council voted 11-0 Thursday at a special meeting to appoint Tiana Steffenhagen, the city's assistant city auditor for 15 years, to the top financial oversight role left vacant by the death of Sharon Riley. Steffenhagen, who has been performing the duties during the transition, told the council she plans to reduce manual processes in the office, reform the city's budget book into a more publicly readable document, and begin longer-range fiscal projections as the city braces for state and local budget pressures. Councilor McAuliffe asked her directly how she would handle disagreements with powerful city officials, drawing a pointed response: "I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. I'm going to tell you how it is just like Sharon did." Council President Sam LaFlam noted that Riley had been deliberately preparing Steffenhagen for the role for years and gave her unconditional backing before the vote.