EDITORIAL: It will be a pivotal, challenging year in Malden

Financial crises — present and future — casting uncertain shadow

There is no other way to put it. The year ahead is going to be a tough one for the city of Malden. As is true for most aspects of life, the main reason that 2026 is going to be difficult to navigate for those who manage our present and future is rooted in finances. Financially, we are in deep trouble, as has been documented by Mayor Gary Christenson, numerous city department heads and myriad elected officials.

Of course, this is far from “new news.” Our longest-serving — now former — City Councillor, Craig Spadafora, to whom the city graciously bid adieu Monday evening, has been sounding the alarm bell for at least the last decade, even longer still, that this day was coming, that these times were coming.

A virtually never expanding commercial tax base — which even appears to be shrinking — in this community is a major issue compounding the city’s financial woes. This situation, coupled with a well-documented, critically inequitable and just plain wrong, negative chasm between what Malden should receive and what it does, in fact, receive from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Chapter 70 funding for the public schools has cast the city into financial crisis. A wide, uncertain shadow is over Malden at this time.

Moves have been initiated— historic actions— to address the crisis now befalling our community and are now months in the making. These have been made through a collaboration between the Mayor, his administrative leaders and the members of the Malden City Council. The most major decision was to pursue Malden’s first-ever Proposition 2 1/2 tax override campaign. The Malden City Council voted near the end of 2025 to place a pair of ballot questions before the voters of Malden in a special election on March 31.

In less than two months, voters will consider two request: questions: one for an override of $5.4 million, and the second for an override of $8.2 million. A simple majority vote authorizes the city to increase the one-time property tax rate by the percentage necessary to raise the levy to those figures.

Estimates are that the average homeowner would pay an additional, one-time tax of $328 if the $5.4 million request passes. The one-time additional tax estimate for the $8.2 million request is $517. If both pass, then the highest amount would be levied.

Make no mistake, Malden’s financial crisis will not be “solved” with the passage of the tax override. However, the city’s leaders would be able to be best equipped to handle the near and present danger of the existing budget shortfall, then move on to the next step in addressing the serious local dilemma.

More and updated information on this issue are planned to be discussed, explained and debated in the weeks leading up the momentous March 31 vote. Let us hope Malden’s leaders and citizens come to the decisions that will combine to push our community in the best direction to ensure the well-being of all.