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H5171 • 2025

An Act removing the Treasurer as Acting Mayor in the Holyoke Charter

An Act removing the Treasurer as Acting Mayor in the Holyoke Charter

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Patricia A. Duffy
Last action
2026-05-14
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on additional rules regarding the selection of an acting mayor beyond removing the treasurer from eligibility.

Act Removing Treasurer as Acting Mayor in Holyoke

This act changes the city charter to remove the treasurer from being an option for acting mayor when the regular mayor cannot perform their duties.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the city charter to remove the treasurer from being an option for acting mayor.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The mayor of Holyoke
  • The treasurer of Holyoke
  • The city clerk of Holyoke

Terms To Know

Acting Mayor
A person who temporarily does the job of the mayor when the regular mayor cannot do it.
City Charter
The main rules and laws for how a city is run, like a constitution for the city.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if both the mayor and the city clerk are unable to perform their duties at the same time.
  • It does not explain who will be in charge of the city if there is no acting mayor chosen.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-14 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting

  2. 2026-05-14 House

    Rules suspended

  3. 2026-05-14 House

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  4. 2026-04-15 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  5. 2026-03-27 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 04/08/2026 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in 222

  6. 2026-03-02 Senate

    Senate concurred

  7. 2026-02-26 House

    Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Official Summary Text

An Act removing the Treasurer as Acting Mayor in the Holyoke Charter
By Representative Duffy of Holyoke, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 5171) of Patricia A. Duffy (with the approval of the mayor and city council) for legislation to remove the treasurer as acting mayor in the city of Holyoke. Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.5171

SECTION 1: Section 27 of the City of Holyoke Charter shall be amended by deleting the paragraph following the heading in total and replacing it with the following:

“Whenever by reason of sickness or other cause the mayor shall be unable to perform the duties of the office, the mayor may designate, by writing filed in the office of the city clerk, the city clerk, to act as mayor, or in case of the failure of the mayor to make such designation, said city clerk shall perform shall act as mayor for the duration of the mayor’s absence due to said inability to perform. The city clerk shall, during the continuance of such inability to perform, have all the rights and powers of mayor, except that the city clerk shall not, when so acting, have the power of removal, unless thereto in any instance authorized by vote of the city council, nor any power of appointment, unless such inability to perform by the mayor has continued for a period of thirty days, and then, subject to the approval of the city council, nor power to approve or disapprove any ordinance, order, resolution or vote until no earlier than twenty-four hours of the time when it would take effect, without the approval of the mayor.

In the event that the city clerk shall be unable to perform the above duties, then the mayor may designate the city council president to act as mayor and perform said duties, subject to the aforementioned restrictions, or in case of the failure of the mayor to make such designation, said city council president shall perform shall act as mayor for the duration of the mayor’s absence due to said inability to perform, subject to the aforementioned restrictions.

In case of such inability to perform by the mayor continuing for a period exceeding sixty days, the city council may at any time after the expiration of that period declare a vacancy to exist in the office of mayor.”

SECTION 2: So much of Chapter 438 of the Acts of 1896 and Chapter 327 of the Acts of 1936 and acts in amendment thereof and addition thereto, as is inconsistent with this act, is hereby repealed.

SECTION 3: The General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the Mayor and City Council approve amendments before enactment by the General Court. The Mayor and City Council are hereby authorized to approve amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of this petition.

SECTION 4: This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.

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