$8.2 million override will give voters a choice to preserve city services, prevent devastating layoffs in public safety & other key jobs

The Malden City Council last night voted unanimously to place the city’s first-ever operating override on a March 31 special election ballot, marking the first time in the city’s history that Malden has ever come to the voters with a Proposition 2 1/2 tax override request. Voters will have the option to vote for two dollar amounts, $5.4 or $8.2 million, and the selection that receives the majority of votes will prevail.

The $5.4 million figure will help close the Fiscal 2027 budget shortfall, but will necessitate dozens of layoffs and cuts to city services including library hours, language services and public safety jobs, and leave a substantial school funding gap, according to City officials; the $8.2 million figure will close both the city and school budget shortfalls, and require minimal or no layoffs and cuts to city services.

The city has already taken steps to address the budget crisis this year, including switching health insurance plans to save an estimated $3 million, restructuring pension payments, upgrading energy efficiency in buildings, bringing in new grants, increasing permit and license fees, and implementing a hiring freeze. Still, a shortfall for the years ahead remains.

“Our community, like so many others, is facing a financial crisis due to forces beyond our control – inflation, health care costs, school spending requirements, and a failure of state and local revenues to keep up. While we have worked hard to contain costs, that alone is not enough to preserve the services our residents depend upon,” said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “Our community now has a choice: to vote yes to protect our city services like public safety, public works, library and more, or vote no and see widespread cuts across departments. I am grateful to my colleagues on the City Council for their unanimous support in placing this override on the ballot. I have faith in our residents to come together to support the city services that we all rely on to make Malden strong.”

Proposition 2 1/2 is a Massachusetts law enacted in 1980 that strictly limits the amount of property tax revenue a municipality can raise annually. It caps the tax levy each year at a 2.5% increase over the previous year’s valuation. Because local income taxes are prohibited in Massachusetts and local sales taxes are severely limited by state law, property taxes are the main mechanism for raising local revenue; the only way to overcome the 2.5% cap is to adopt an override by special election.

Local labor unions have rallied around the override proposal, signaling their support for avoiding job losses and cuts to public safety and citing a growing mismatch between municipalities’ ability to raise adequate revenue to provide basic city services amidst inflation, stagnating state aid and the decades-old cap on property taxes. “Malden Firefighters Local 902 stands united with our fellow city unions in support of the upcoming Proposition 2 1/2 vote,” said Ken Guiel, President Malden Firefighters Local 902. “With Malden’s growing population and an increase in fire incidents, our staffing levels – already below national standards – cannot afford further reductions. Any cuts would slow emergency response times and significantly increase safety risks for both our residents and the firefighters who protect them.”

Earlier this year, the City Council voted to make a major adjustment to the city’s health plan covering all municipal and school employees, switching from private coverage to the state’s Group Insurance Commission (GIC), which is projected to save around $3 million in the next fiscal year’s budget. Further cost reductions are expected to come through a hiring freeze, increases in some fees, and other cuts already being made within departments.

"The members of the Malden Education Association care deeply about the future of this city," states Deb Gesualdo, Malden Education Association President. "We want Malden to remain a community where families can thrive and where municipal workers have the resources they need to provide high-quality services. Educators and municipal employees are already working within systems stretched thin, and any further reduction in personnel or services will have a disproportionate effect on families and neighborhoods across the city. An override is needed to ensure a strong future for our community.”

Patrick Kinnon, Vice President of the Malden Police Patrolmen’s Association echoed the need for investment, adding, “On behalf of the hard working men and women of the Malden Police Patrolmen’s Association, we stand in strong support for the proposed Proposition 2 1⁄2 override. Our members are committed to serving Malden with professionalism, compassion, and dedication, but they need adequate staffing levels and resources to meet the community’s needs. Reductions would have widespread impacts in our community. An override would provide the financial stability needed to hire and train new officers, maintain essential public safety operations, and prevent further erosion of the services our residents rely upon. We believe that investing in public safety is an investment in the quality of life for every resident, business owner, and visitor in Malden.”

“Malden has a long history of revolutionary action on behalf of its people. The library is a prime example of what investing in this community can create,” said Cait Quinn, President of the Malden Public Library Union, AFSCME Local 3945. “In this economically uncertain time Malden must continue to serve the growing needs of this community and we must have the funding necessary to meet the challenges we face. It is crucial that our community come together to pass this override, so our future reflects Malden’s founding vision.”

The City has set up a webpage with more information on the override, municipal budget challenges, and impacts to individual homeowners, including the amount residents can expect to pay on their property tax bills each quarter if the override passes. There will also be a series of public forums scheduled across the city in January and February where residents can find out information on the election and ask questions. Learn more at CityofMalden.org/Override.