Holyoke City Council suing Mayor Morse

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Some members of the Holyoke City Council are suing the Mayor over the city's needle exchange program. They want a judge to shut down the city's needle exchange program.

The council and Mayor Morse were supposed to be in court for that on Wednesday.

Holyoke has the third highest infection rate for HIV and Hepatitis among Massachusetts needle users.

Under the Mayor's needle exchange program, users can bring in a needle, and get a sterile one back.

City Councilors complain they weren't included in the July decision to approve needle exchange and they want a judge to shut it down.

Tapestry Health runs the needle exchange program and argues it's a very important program.

  “This program is having an immediate effect at reducing transmissions and it's very disappointing to see that, especially for the City Councilors that support needle exchange, why they would sign on to a lawsuit that could potentially shut the program down,” said Timothy Purington, Director of Prevention Services for Tapestry Health.

They argue that this helps the city dispose of the needles safely and properly so they don't end up out on the streets.

People we spoke with say the program's kept people healthier. A man in Holyoke told 22News, "If they stop that, there are going to be more people sick here."

Holyoke City Councilor  Daniel Bresnahan said Holyoke has become an epicenter of programs for the sick or poor and the council still has many questions.

Some feel drug abuse, though, is not just unique to Holyoke. “It's not about oh you can come to Holyoke and do drugs, you can go to South Hadley, Agawam, Amherst, no matter where you go there's still drugs around like that, we're not the only one infected with drugs,” said Eddie Morales of Holyoke.

Wednesday’s hearing had to be rescheduled because of an illness but if a judge finds the approval illegal, the program will be shut down.