First Priority

My vision for the City of Holyoke is one shared by many people of every corner of the City and that is to cultivate an environment within our local government and our neighborhoods that is sustainable so that we can support the very efforts that help build our community. Like everyone else, I want to see strong economic development, good public education, advanced public safety efforts, and quality municipal services. First however, we need to work from the middle out and make necessary system changes that will safeguard public funds, protect local assets, and establish a system that complies with financial standards and regulations.

How we manage our resources determine greatly how much we can adequately support our departments to provide services the community expects. Each of the City’s local government functions and local community organizations are very dependent on how well we operate financially.

Therefore, my number one priority will be focused on:

Addressing the current $2,000,000.00 deficit on City's books and re-establish a healthy level of Free Cash. This includes addressing current practices that has created reconciliation variances for cash and real estate receivables, appropriation deficits from overspending, capital project deficits, grant deficits, and other deficits which are structural in nature related to overspending which is an unacceptable practice especially since Massachusetts general Law does not allow spending in excess of appropriation.
Drafting a Financial Policies Manual that provides guidance for local planning and decision making. The manual will outline objectives, provide direction, and define authority to help ensure sound fiscal stewardship and management practices in accordance with the City's local ordinances and best practices from the MA Division of Local Services.
Review tax rate recap sheet and further understand revenue sources in preparation for FY23. Collaborate with departments and the City Council to finalize a budget that is within budget parameters as reflected by revenue sources.
Review interoperability structure and draft a reorganization plan. Collaborate with the City Council to appropriately address areas of which require Charter Change.
Making sure the City's financial departments have the tools they need to be effective.
Draft personnel policies manual to ensure that the residents of Holyoke receive the quality of services for which they pay and to which they are entitled, and to further insure a sound and mutually beneficial economic and professional relationship between the City and its employees.
Establish a Capital Improvement Program and plan. Having such a dynamic community planning and fiscal management tool will help the city identify capital projects and equipment purchase needs, provide a planning schedule, and identify options for financing capital needs.
Work with the City Council to establish a Capital Projects stabilization account.
Grow stabilization accounts.
Collaborate with the Treasurer department to aggressively collect back owed city taxes.
Identify and accept a statute that provides the city flexibility to address water/sewer delinquencies by placing unpaid previous fiscal year utility charges on the tax bill to secure payment of the charge either by payment or tax title. If unpaid, this approach will allow the city to place a lien on the property and foreclosure.

My Experience

When I first arrived as Blandford’s Town Administrator three years ago, the Town was in a very similar situation as Holyoke. There were consistent years of negative free cash balances and untimely reporting to the MA Department of Revenue. Accounts weren’t being reconciled regularly if at all and there were multiple deficit accounts that were not being addressed; vendors were not being paid timely and payroll was often impacted. There was no internal controls or accountability and no trust between departments and elected/appointed officials. Additionally, no audit had taken place since 2012. When I stepped in, I quickly realized the immediate need to get its financial house in order and we did while cultivating an environment of collaboration at Town Hall which reflected positively throughout the community. We reorganized and professionalized financial departments and made system changes to provide greater efficiency and accountability. The changes implemented allowed for an improved budget setting process, timely closing of books of previous fiscal years and reporting, strong free cash certification balances, a much more efficient warrant processing and payroll system, and timely completion of annual audits. With these core functions operating how they should be and it’s in-house in order, we have been able to maximize on the town’s available resources through grants and local appropriations and made numerous strategic investments in infrastructure, capital upgrades, and multiple investments in stabilization. This is the kind of progress I want to bring to Holyoke!

First Priority

Therefore, my number one priority will be focused on:

My Experience

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