Diosdado Lopez was elected to the City Council in 1991 and said it was time for a break.
Holyoke Ward 2 City Councilor Diosdado LopezHOLYOKE – Diosdado Lopez has been representing Ward 2 on the City Council since 1991, when he became the first Hispanic elected to the board, but he said Thursday he needs a break.
Lopez announced he wouldn’t run for reelection in the fall on Tuesday after he gave the report of the Ordinance Committee, of which he is chairman, during the council meeting.
“I’ve been thinking about not running for the last two or three years. It’s time to allow a new person to try to do the job,” Lopez, 46, said Thursday.
The Ordinance Committee probably is the council’s busiest, with many lengthly public hearings on property-related items and discussions about proposed laws, but Lopez said he liked the work.
“I’m not afraid of the work. I like what I’m doing. It’s just that I need a break,” he said.
For much of his time on the council, Lopez was the only Hispanic in a city whose Hispanic population keeps growing, today accounting for nearly half the city’s 40,000 people.
There’s pressure in holding such a position, Lopez said.
“It’s a lot of pressure, because you’re trying to take care of the whole city, even if you don’t represent that part of the city someone is calling from,” he said.
Lopez, who is in his 20th year, trails only council President Joseph M. McGiverin in consecutive time of service. McGiverin has been on the council since 1980 and president since 1986.
“I’ve served with Diosdado for those 20 years and he’s been a dedicated councilor. He’s served his constituents. He’s a hard worker,” McGiverin said.
City Council Chambers sometimes springs into a gloves-off political battle, but Lopez’ rarely raised his voice, fired off cutting remarks or was less than civil.
“There could be fights all around him and he’s still smiling,” McGiverin said.
Lopez, a case worker with WestMass ElderCare Inc., said he routinely gets 30 to 40 phone calls a day and returning them takes a toll on a person.
“It’s not easy,” he said.
He hasn’t heard of anyone willing to run for the Ward 2 seat, said Lopez, but he said he will be watching and if the new Ward 2 councilor’s work slips, Lopez after a break might run again.
“We have a lot of issues in Ward 2. We need somebody who is dedicated,” he said.
The Ward 2 councilor before Lopez, from 1989 to 1991, was Elaine A. Pluta, who is now the mayor.