Holyoke City Council proceeds with Home Rule Petition in wake of Mayor Alex Morse resignation
Updated Mar 17, 2021;
HOLYOKE – The City Council on Tuesday passed a home rule petition to eliminate a special election and require the council president to serve as acting mayor once Alex B. Morse resigns.
Morse plans to leave office March 26 at 4:30 p.m. to become town manager of Provincetown. The council formally accepted Morse’s resignation letter Tuesday.
The home rule petition also states the winner of the mayoral race in November would immediately be sworn in, rather than waiting for the typical January inauguration.
Council President Todd McGee has said work commitment and potential conflicts of interest make him unable to be a full-time acting mayor. But he said Tuesday he could serve in a temporary capacity until the petition is passed or rejected by the state Legislature. McGee works for Springfield-based MassMutual, a Fortune 100 company and insurance industry giant.