PRESS RELEASE [PDF]
For Immediate Release:
July 28, 2023
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Contact: Kevin Jourdain
(413) 538-5519
[email protected]
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JOURDAIN ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR
RE-ELECTION TO HOLYOKE CITY COUNCIL
HOLYOKE – Councilor-at-Large Kevin Jourdain has formally announced his intention to seek re-election to an at-large seat on the Holyoke City Council this fall.
“I have appreciated the opportunity to serve the people of Holyoke on the City Council,” Jourdain said in a statement. “I am proud of the reputation I have earned as a ‘fiscal watchdog’ in the city on behalf of the taxpayers. I am also proud of my work in the name of government accountability, public safety, and the effective delivery of city services – especially education – to our residents. I’d like to continue working hard in pursuit of these and other goals on behalf of the citizens of Holyoke as one of their at-large City Councilors going forward.”
In support of his candidacy, Jourdain recently submitted more than the legally-required number of signatures from voters to the Holyoke City Clerk to officially qualify him for the ballot this November 7. He says he plans an energetic campaign that will focus on reaching out to residents across Holyoke and exploring ways to enhance leadership in local government.
“City government matters a lot,” Jourdain said. “While other levels of government often capture the most attention on television, it’s at the local level where many important decisions are made that have a profound effect on everyday life. Whether it’s a question of how to make our city safer, or how to improve education, or how to revitalize businesses in our downtown, the City Council has a lot of power to make important decisions. As a longtime member of the Council, I think I have experience that provides an important perspective when these and other decisions are being made. I appreciate the opportunity to serve our city and I hope to continue my work on behalf of the people of Holyoke if re-elected this fall.”
About Kevin Jourdain
Kevin Jourdain currently serves as one of six elected at-large members of the Holyoke City Council. He has served a total of 13 terms as a member of the Council, having been first elected in 1993. He served as Council President from 2012-2017.
Throughout his service on the Council, Jourdain has earned the reputation of being a “fiscal watchdog,” someone who is unafraid to ask tough questions and to demand high quality and accountability from city government on behalf of the people of Holyoke. He has been instrumental in demanding fiscal responsibility within city departments and also instituting regular performance reviews for city workers in key positions for the first time in the city’s history. He is also committed to returning Holyoke’s public schools to local control.
One of his more notable recent achievements has been his work to improve education for the youth of Holyoke while saving local taxpayers more than $80 million. Four years ago, when city leaders proposed a hefty tax increase to fund the construction of two new middle schools, Jourdain stepped forward to defend taxpayers by leading the campaign against the tax hike. But he didn’t stop there. After voters struck down the proposed tax hike, Jourdain brought city leaders together to find a more affordable solution. Through his hard work, the city recently proposed a different plan to build one new middle school, one which can be built within the bounds of the city’s existing budget and also will qualify for significant state funding. Holyoke’s young people soon will have a new middle school to learn in while local property taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money in future years.
Jourdain is also proud of having been the deciding vote in favor of installing “Shot Spotter” technology in Holyoke. This technology helps to improve public safety by alerting law enforcement officials when there is a shooting, helping to improve response times and providing more accurate information as to the location of potential assailants and the type of weapon used. This technology already has been used successfully in multiple incidents. Jourdain not only supported the project, but also has worked closely with other government officials to get grant money to roll out this technology in phases over two square miles of the city.
As a lifelong resident of Holyoke and with a vision for the future of the city, Jourdain also has been active in efforts to clean up the city’s downtown and to help bring new business development to the city. He was a leading voice in demanding that High Street be repaved so as to provide better access to the downtown business district. He also led efforts to eliminate a local moratorium against natural gas, which was hurtful to local residential and business development, while also encouraging state officials to permit expanded non-pipeline capacity at the West Holyoke Liquefied Natural Gas facility by more than thirty percent.
Aside from his work on the Holyoke City Council, Jourdain also has served as a Trustee for the Holyoke Soldier’s Home since 2018. He also served as a Water Commissioner for Holyoke Water Works from 2019-2021. He is a former board member of the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority Advisory Board, a former trustee on the Holyoke Community College Board of Trustees, and a former supervisor for the T.J. O'Connor Animal Shelter Board of Supervisors.
Jourdain currently lives in Holyoke with his wife, Shari, and three children. He is a 2010 graduate of Massachusetts School of Law (magna cum laude) and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Anna Maria College and a Bachelor’s Degree from UMass Amherst.
For more information about Kevin Jourdain, please visit www.kevinjourdain.com
Paid for by The Jourdain Committee | Richard Berrena, Treasurer | 307 Linden St., Holyoke, MA 01040
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