HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5695        FILED ON: 2/18/2026

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Patricia A. Duffy

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
 Court assembled:

 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

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

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5695        FILED ON: 2/18/2026

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

 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.