Holyoke City Council Appoints New Accountant, Tables Treasurer Vote in Divided Decision

HOLYOKE — May 5, 2026 — Holyoke City Council unanimously appointed Cheryl Allen as city accountant and adopted a first-in-Western-Massachusetts ban on rodenticide bait stations on city property at its May 5 meeting. Allen, who holds a master's degree in professional accounting from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and two years of experience with the Munis municipal finance platform, was approved 13-0 on the first ballot after the Public Service Committee, chaired by Councilor Juan Anderson Burgos, referred her appointment 3-0; several councilors praised her qualifications while raising procedural concerns about receiving only one finalist. The council also unanimously adopted an ordinance under MGL Chapter 40, Section 71, authorizing AI-equipped stop-arm cameras on school buses at no cost to the city, to be operated by vendor Bus Patrol. The most contested action was the council's 7-6 vote to keep the treasurer appointment on the table, followed by a 4-9 rejection of a motion to reconsider — leaving unresolved the question of whether the current tax collector will be formally installed as treasurer before a June 30 deadline, pending a state home rule petition to merge the two charter positions. The council also approved $671,960 in Community Preservation Act funding for six projects including a $225,000 window restoration at Holyoke Health Center and $31,960 to restore four antique carousel horses ahead of the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round's 2027 centennial.