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Majority of Councillors say planned Proposition 2 1/2 override ballot question should stand alone
By Steve Freker
Leave it to Ward 7 Councillor Chris Simonelli to show out a hidden talent during a Malden City Council meeting: “Art critic.”
During a discussion of a proposed addition of a third ballot question to a planned Proposition 2 1/2 special election on Tuesday, March 31, Simonelli said it might be too much to ask of the voters, who were already looking at two. On March 31, Malden voters will be deciding on either a $5.4 million override question to raise property taxes or an $8.2 million override. The third question, which would be a 30-year debt exclusion of $36 million to pay Malden’s share of the new construction of the Northeast Metro Tech, was proposed in November by City Councillors Ryan O’Malley (Ward 4), Karen Colón Hayes (at Large) and Stephen Winslow (Ward 6).
Simonelli brought out the “full palette” with his response: “I’m not saying it’s not a good paper,” the Ward 7 Councillor said, “but if we add more colors to the painting, it could become distorted.”
“Too many [ballot] questions could become too confusing and be too much to explain,” he said. “It’s too much, too late. Keep it simple.”
Councillors O’Malley and Colón Hayes both agreed “this measure will never pass,” but both said they believe in the spirit of it.
“The $5.4 million override request would cost the average taxpayer $353 [more] a year; the $8.2 million would be $532. This debt exclusion — money we are mandated to pay — would be $90 a year over the term proposed,” Councillor O’Malley said. “Our voters are intelligent. I don’t think it would be too confusing [with three ballot questions].”
Councillors O’Malley and Colón Hayes both voted “yes” in a 9-2 vote against the proposed debt exclusion/ballot question while all other Councillors — Crowe (Ward 1), Condon (Ward 2), Taylor (Ward 5), Winslow (Ward 6), Simonelli (Ward 7), McDonald (at Large), Luong (at Large) and Council President Amanda Linehan (Ward 3) — voted against the measure.
