Holyoke Finance Committee advances $12.5 million in school roof funding to City Council

HOLYOKE — January 14, 2026 — Holyoke Finance Committee advances $12.5 million in MSBA school roof projects and approves $319,000 in 911 grants. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to send appropriations of $5,753,418 for Morris A. Whiting Elementary School and $6,739,962 for Lieutenant Clarel Sullivan Middle School to the full City Council, while returning a third order — a $636,812 supplement for the Elmer McMahon Elementary School roof — to the auditor after facilities director Sean Sheehy disclosed the building's square footage was listed at 30,000 square feet rather than the correct 49,641. City Treasurer Rory Casey told the committee the city's A-plus bond rating and a self-imposed $5.5 million annual debt service ceiling leave roughly $9 million in additional borrowing capacity through fiscal year 2029, and said the state's reimbursement rate on Accelerated Repair Program projects has averaged close to 80 percent. The committee also unanimously approved two no-match state 911 grants — $12,979 for dispatcher continuing education and $306,443 for workstation upgrades and salary support, including replacement of two failing dispatch consoles at an estimated cost of $60,000.