Communities across Western Massachusetts will kick off 2026 by swearing in mayors who will be starting their second, third and even fourth terms.
The events will be held on Monday, with the earliest starting at 9:30 a.m. and latest at 7 p.m. Dozens of new and returning city councilors, school committee members and others who hold elected positions also will take oaths of office.
None of the Hampden County mayors who will take their oaths of office are new. Holyoke’s Joshua Garcia and Agawam’s Christopher Johnson each won their first bid for reelection in November, while those in West Springfield, Westfield, and Chicopee have been in office longer. Johnson also served as mayor in the 1990s.
Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau will start his fourth term on Monday in a swearing in that starts at 10 a.m. in the City Hall auditorium. Also included in the ceremony are two assessors, the new collector, the 13 members of the City Council and 11 other School Committee members.
“I wasn’t sure how long I would stay when I first ran, but I’m passionate about what I do. I love the city of Chicopee,” Vieau said. “I’m excited about where we are heading.”
In the past year or so, Chicopee was listed as the most affordable community in Massachusetts, and Vieau said he works hard to try to keep it that way.
But it isn’t all about budgets and attracting businesses, Vieau said; he really enjoys hosting National Night Out, which is ranked the 12th largest in the country, and the Halloween Spooktacular, which attracts thousands to Szot Park every year.
“I believe it about the dynamic team we have built,” he said. “I’m just so grateful for our employees who come to work and do a good job every day.”
Springfield’s swearing in also will take place at 10 a.m. Monday in City Hall. Two of the 13 city councilors and three of seven School Committee members are newcomers. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who is the dean of the Western Massachusetts mayors, is half-way through his four-year term, so he is not part of the swearing-in ceremony.
After the event, the City Council will convene and officially elect a new president and vice president. In an informal vote in December, the council selected Tracye Whitfield to serve as the body’s first Black female president and Jose Delgado as the vice president.
Holyoke
Mayor Joshua Garcia ran unopposed when seeking his second, four-year term in the city and is scheduled to be sworn in at 10 a.m. in City Hall.
Brenna Murphy Leary, who also ran unopposed, will take the oath to continue in the position of city clerk. On the City Council, four of the 13 members to be sworn in are new, and two of the nine School Committee members who take the oath were elected in November for the first time.
Westfield
Mayor Michael McCabe fought off a challenge in November and will be sworn into his third term to lead the city at 9:30 a.m. at Westfield High School.
Multiple other elected officials also will formally begin their terms, including the 13 city councilors, six School Committee members, Municipal Light Board members and an athenaeum trustee.
The City Council will hold an 11:30 a.m. meeting in City Hall to elect a president.
West Springfield
Mayor William C. Reichelt will be sworn in to his third, four-year term Monday after holding off a challenge from Town Councilor Daniel M. O’Brien in November.
The inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the West Springfield Town Hall Auditorium. Also being sworn in are the nine members of the City Council and the six School Committee members.
Organizational meetings in which the council and School Committee will select officers will be held after the ceremony.
Agawam
Agawam’s swearing-in ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. with Johnson, the 11 members of the City Council and six members of the School Committee taking their oath of office.
The City Council, which has three new members, will meet after the ceremony to elect a new president. Current Councilor and President Rosemary Sandlin said she is not running for the position again.