Holyoke City Council appoints Allen as new city auditor

Newly appointed City Auditor Cheryl Allen talks to the City Council after the council approved her appointment on May 5.
Photo credit: Holyoke Media

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke City Council has appointed Cheryl Allen to become the new city auditor, tasking the official with overseeing municipal finances, conducting independent reviews of city spending and ensuring transparency and accountability across all departments.

The council spent its May 5 meeting discussing Allen, who was first interviewed during a Public Service Committee meeting on April 23. The committee then sent the appointment to the full City Council.

The position has been vacant since former City Auditor Tanya Wdowiak announced in November 2025 that she would resign to take another opportunity nearby.

Allen has a master’s degree in professional accounting from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and a bachelor’s degree in law from Shanghai University. She has worked as a town accountant in two separate Massachusetts municipalities since 2021 and also has two years of experience using Munis.

Before becoming an accountant, Allen was a lawyer in China. She changed her career path because, “There are too many gray areas in the law field, and I like numbers that we know what we have. You cannot just try to get a shortcut of finding a gray area to do anything not ethical or not to mention illegal.”

As an accountant, she submitted required financial reports to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue in compliance with state guidelines, prepared year-end financial reports for internal and external stakeholders, prepared cash reconciliations with the treasurer monthly, ensured all accounts were accurate and up to date, and coordinated and scheduled the annual audit.

Holyoke is currently updating its Finance Department through the recently signed Municipal Finance Modernization Act. Included in the act are newly created roles designed to strengthen internal controls, improve coordination across departments and ensure long-term financial stability.

Last year, Holyoke faced challenges with cash reconciliation due to a lack of proper financial documentation. The state halted local aid payments because Holyoke had not completed cash reconciliations from fiscal year 2023 to the current fiscal year.

Allen said she saw the job posting in January, and after doing some research, she said she appreciated the work environment and the team the city had.

“I did my own research, and I appreciate the working environment, the team that we have here, and the support that the employees are getting from the committee [and] from the council,” Allen explained. “I do know Holyoke has actively been working on catching up, and I’m willing to be part of it and to speed up the process for the city.”

Allen said she plans to execute monthly reconciliations, rather than just quarterly, bi-annually or annually reconciliations, so any issues can be caught earlier.

City councilors spoke highly of Allen’s prior experience and how it can prevent any financial problems in the future.

City Councilor Nicole Maisonet stated, “She understands where our finances are and is willing to be part of the process to get Holyoke to be where it needs to be. I think she’s very well-rounded.”

City Councilor Patti Devine said, “This was a candidate that was extremely intelligent. The resume certainly spoke for itself. I think that Holyoke is extremely lucky to have this caliber of a candidate.”

City Councilors Howard Greaney and Linda Vacon said they had problems with the procedural aspect of the process, but both expressed their support for the candidate.

In her remarks, Allen said she would approach multiple audits with strict deadlines. “I think communication is always important. Communicate with auditors and say what do you need first; give me a list,” Allen said.

Allen said she would prioritize the most important items first. She shared that she is good at multitasking and can handle a high-stress environment. She is also a certified government accountant and is ready to take her certified public accountant exam if she chooses.

The City Council unanimously approved the appointment.

“Thank you all for your trust, and I will do my best to fulfill my role,” said Allen after she was appointed.