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By Steve Freker
Malden city officials on Monday night continued to share details of why the community is being asked to support a property tax increase in an upcoming special election. A large audience of local residents gave mixed opinions on whether they support a proposed Proposition 2 1/2 Override or not at the Ferryway School auditorium that evening. It was the third in a series of four citywide informational forums organized by top-level Malden officials, led by Mayor Gary Christenson, designed to get the information out to citizens on the property tax override proposal.
It is the first time in municipal history that Malden’s city government is asking local voters to override Proposition 2 1/2 and support an increase in the property tax levy for homeowners and commercial property A Proposition 2 1/2 Override — if supported by voters — is a vote to increase the total property tax levy limit, the total amount of tax revenue a municipality can raise, beyond the 2.5% increase allowed annually in Massachusetts.
Proposition 2 1/2 is one of the longest-standing state-based tax laws in the nation. It is a Massachusetts law passed by voters 45 years ago — in 1980 — that limits the amount of property tax revenue a community can raise through real and personal property taxes to 2.5% annually. Because an override increases the total tax levy, the additional tax burden is distributed across all taxable property classes, including commercial, industrial and personal property, not just residential homes.
On Tuesday, March 31, Malden voters will go to the polls to mark ballots with either a “Yes” or “No” vote to two ballot questions. One question, “1A,” asks voters if they support a citywide tax levy increase of $5.4 million. A second question, “1B,” asks voters if they support a citywide tax levy increase of $8.2 million.
A total majority vote of over 50% is required to pass either or both ballot questions. If one passes, that amount ($5.4 million or $8.2 million) will be raised with a levy increase this year. If both pass, the higher $8.2 million would be assessed. If neither ballot question passes, then there would be no property tax increase this year larger than the 2 1/2% allowed by Massachusetts state law.
On Monday, Mayor Christenson and other top-tier city officials, including City Council President Amanda Linehan (Ward 3), City Council Finance Committee Chairperson Carey McDonald (At Large), Chief Strategy Officer Ron Hogan, City Controller Charles “Chuck” Ranaghan and City Treasurer Daniel Grover, assembled at a table on the stage before an audience of about 100 residents. Also on hand for the forum were Ward 1 Councillor Peg Crowe and Ward 5 Councillor Ari Taylor.
It was the third of a series of four informational forums on the proposed Proposition 2 1/2 Override ballot questions, which will be decided by Malden voters on March 31. The fourth and final informational forum is scheduled next week at 6:00 p.m. at Linden STEAM Academy K-8 school, 29 Wescott St., Malden, just ahead of the Tuesday, March 31 vote. The City of Malden has provided detailed information on the override proposal on the city website: www.cityofmalden.org.
Mayor Christenson gave an overview of the city’s present financial crisis and stressed the $8.2 million higher amount request on the ballot would “not be used to for any new personnel positions or city services, but would only enable the city to continue to provide services at the same level” heading into Fiscal Year 2027. The Mayor also said that even with the requested and hoped-for $8.2 million in tax levy funds, he and his staff are intending to institute $2 million in budget cuts for FY27.
Mayor Christenson and all of the other officials on stage stressed that the crux of the cause of the structural deficit that precipitated the override request was a substantially flawed state funding system, which consistently has shortchanged Malden when it comes to Chapter 70 school funding. “This [Chapter 70 funding shortfall] is not something that has snuck up on us,” the Mayor said. “We have been dealing with this major problem for close to a decade, and despite the efforts and attention of many city officials, City Councils and state legislators, there have been no changes.”
The Mayor explained the main issue with lack of changes to the formula is the fact that “there are 351 cities towns in the Commonwealth and any change that may potentially provide relief to Malden might affect some other community in another way.”
Other communities are feeling the financial pain across the state as well, he said, and have either taken up override campaigns or successfully seen them passed by voters, including next door in Melrose, where the highest Proposition 2 1/2 Override in state history passed, a $13.5 million increase in the tax levy. In nearby Stoneham, voters in a special election this past December 2025 approved a $9.3 million override.
“Malden is not alone, there are many communities facing similar challenges and seeking overrides,” the Mayor said, referencing the Melrose and Stoneham ballot question passages. In the past three years, over 170 overrides have been supported statewide in Massachusetts.
“It is not unchecked spending; it is a severe lack of revenue to match our rising costs over which we have no control, such as health care for our employees and many of the costs of operating our schools,” the Mayor said.
City Controller Ranaghan referenced a slide shown at the forum, outlining the key reasons the override is being sought:
—A multiyear structural deficit driven by cost increases in key areas have left the municipal budget at a breaking point.
—Costs in core areas like employees’ health insurance costs, wages, facilities maintenance and education have overwhelmed revenue growth.
—A $1.4 million (minimum) annual cost in required funding for the Northeast Vocational new school, a 30-year commitment continuing through 2052, approved by Malden voters in 2022, in addition to the annual operating cost paid by the City of Malden for about 150 local students
—Additional pressures unique to Malden from a flawed school-funding formula that overburdens Malden as compared to other similar communities
About 20 residents gave opinions at the forum — seemingly split between either expressing their support for the city’s override request, making challenges in opposition or simply asking questions clarifying some of the information presented. All of those who spoke — either in favor of the override or against — who referenced public safety personnel all agreed that “no one wanted to see any police and fire personnel cut.”
Those comments referencing public safety personnel came following one of the informational slides, which projected potential job cuts if both override ballot questions fail. If the ballot questions do not pass, city projections are that 15 police officers (of 116 on duty) and 15 firefighters (of 108 on duty) could be laid off. In addition, other job cuts could follow in General Government (18 of 137), DPW/Cemetery (9 of 48) and Library (3 of 20) for a total of 60 layoffs. Other staff reductions would loom in other departments as well, city officials said.
Chief Strategy Officer Ron Hogan — who has spent a great deal of time on the Chapter 70 dilemma alone, and others — said this is a financial morass that is continuing to affect Malden annually.
“We cannot let the safety of the residents of our community be endangered by job cuts to the Fire Department and Police Department, regardless of where we stand on the override,” said one woman, who said she was the wife of a retired Malden firefighter and mother of a working Malden firefighter as well.
“The dynamics change every year,” Hogan said of the Chapter 70 shortfall, “and something has to change at the state side. The $8.2 million just gets us back to square one.”
City Council President Linehan and Councillor-at-Large McDonald thanked all who attended the two-hour-plus forum and invited the public to attend the fourth one scheduled for March 25.
“We are happy to see so many residents in attendance this evening and thank all those who offered opinions and insight,” Councillor Linehan said. “You care about your community.”
++++SIDEBAR to NEWS STORY
Malden Proposition 2½ Override Election Information
The following information is available on the City of Malden website: www.cityofmalden.org
On March 31, 2026, Malden voters will be asked to consider two separate Proposition 2½ override questions, Question 1A and Question 1B. These questions are designed to provide additional funding to help stabilize the City’s budget and support essential city services.
BALLOT LANGUAGE
Questions 1A and 1B are separate questions. You may vote for or against each question independently. Each question requires a majority of those voting on that question to pass. If both questions pass, Option 1B will prevail as the question with the higher dollar amount.
The proposed funding would support ongoing services across all City departments, including public schools, public safety, the public library, public works, and general government.
***
1A
Shall the City of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $5,400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the City’s budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works and general government, for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?
0 Yes
0 No
***
1B
Shall the City of Malden be allowed to assess an additional $8,200,000 in real estate and personal property taxes for the purposes of stabilizing the City’s budget and to support ongoing city services across all departments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works and general government, for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?
0 Yes
0 No
***
Online Tax Calculator
To help residents understand the potential impact of the proposed override, the City has provided an online tax calculator. By entering your address, you can view an estimate of how the override would affect your annual property tax bill, based on current assessed values.
Overview
On September 25, 2025, Mayor Gary Christenson sent a correspondence to the Malden City Council asking that the City Council take under consideration a Proposition 2 1/2 override. Under MGL, Cities and Towns may only increase taxes 2.5% year over year, and anything beyond that requires approval by the voters. With the docketing of a paper before the Malden City Council, that process has begun.
Subsequent City Council discussion and deliberation, driven by resident feedback and additional facts coming to the surface, resulted in a modification to the proposal such that voters will be provided two options for an override. Only one amount can prevail. In the event both amounts receive more than 50% support, the higher amount will prevail. If neither amount receives more than 50% of the vote, then both questions fail.
The options are for $5.4 million and $8.2 million.
The City Council voted unanimously in support of the two-tiered override option, and the Mayor signed off on the revised proposal, as well as a recommendation to move the election day back to March 31, 2026. While both the legislative and executive branches have approved of putting the override on the ballot, it’s important to remember that NEITHER THE MAYOR NOR THE CITY COUNCIL CAN INCREASE TAXES WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.
The election day is largely driven by the need to have a direction in time for the crafting of a City Budget for FY2027. That process usually starts in February of each year, and will be greatly informed by the results of the March 31 election.
