Holyoke City Council Passes Salary Increases, Confronts Tax Bill Rate Error

HOLYOKE -- January 6, 2026, Holyoke City Council opens 2026 with salary vote, tax bill error disclosure, and Planning Board quorum fix. The council voted 11-2 at its January 6 meeting to approve Schedule A salary grade increases totaling approximately $15,000 for five city positions, effective July 1, 2026, with Councilors Bacon and Graney dissenting on taxpayer-burden grounds. The council also received a January 5 letter from the Board of Assessors disclosing that third-quarter fiscal year 2026 tax bills incorrectly applied a Community Preservation Act surcharge of 1.5 percent instead of the voter-approved 1 percent rate; corrected figures will appear on April fourth-quarter bills, and taxpayers who overpaid will receive credits. Councilor McGrath Smith urged constituents with questions to contact Tax Collector Laura Wilson. In a separate action, the council unanimously confirmed John Wellahan to the Board of Appeals and, citing an immediate Planning Board quorum crisis, pulled Paul Burns Johnson's appointment from committee and confirmed him to the Planning Board the same evening, a step Councilor Panic said was necessary because the board currently cannot legally hear site plan reviews or special permit applications.