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Special citywide election will be held on Tuesday, March 31, for voters to decide on either $5.4 million or $8.2 million override
By Steve Freker
The Malden City Council — in a historic vote — unanimously approved a request from the city’s administration to hold a Special Election next spring where local residents will be asked to vote on a proposed Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override. The vote, taken at Tuesday’s regular Council meeting, means the first time in municipal history that the city of Malden’s voters will be asked to vote on such a proposal.
The vote came after over two months of discussion both at regular City Council meetings and subcommittee meetings, most notably at seven separate meetings of the Council’s Finance Committee, which is chaired by Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald. Councillor McDonald introduced the results of those meetings with a formal report at Tuesday night’s regular meeting, detailing the language of the ballot questions as they will appeal on the ballot.
Included in the discussions was major change in the timing of the Special Election, which was set for Tuesday, March 31, a change from the original date in mid-February.
The language of the ballot questions — including the amendments voted on Tuesday night — which will appear on the ballot in March, are as follows:
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, then question 1B with the highest dollar amount will prevail.
1A
Order: That the City of Malden hold a Special Municipal Election on March 31, 2026 and to include the following ballot question: 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?
1B
Order: That the City of Malden hold a Special Municipal Election on March 31, 2026 and to include the following ballot question: 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, general government for which the monies will be used for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026?
The original request was for a $5.4 million override, which would have been used for the purposes of lowering a structural deficit in this year’s municipal budget that totals $8.4 million. An additional $3 million would be forecast to be saved by changing the city’s health insurance provider. At a recent Finance Committee meeting, city officials made a case for requesting an additional $2.8 million override amount, these funds to be targeted directly at required school expenditures over inflation, due to the gap in annual Chapter 70 state school funding.
Mayor Gary Christenson appeared before the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting and again outlined reasons for the override request and thanked Councillors and all who have offered opinions — for and against the request — for giving input “very respectfully in the process.”
Several City Councillors, including Ward 8 Councillor Jadeane Sica and Councillor-at-Large Karen Colón Hayes, noted there are plans to have a robust slate of public meetings regarding the override request and the subsequent Special Election, beginning after the new year in January 2026.
