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Razor-thin margin: 51%-49% for ‘no’ decides against $5.4 million tax increase request; $8.4 million request fails, with 59% opposed
By Steve Freker
Malden voters said “No” to both Special Election ballot questions, which asked them to support or decline a Proposition 2 1/2 property tax override, on a historic day. Tuesday’s vote was the first-ever tax override requested by city officials in municipal history. A five-month process, which began with Mayor Gary Christenson formally requesting a $5.4 million override to bridge a structural budget deficit, came to a resounding halt Tuesday.
In the latest in a series of extremely low turnouts at the polls — only 15 percent of the city’s total rolls of registered voters (5,747) — Malden voters voted down two options: a $5.4 million or $8.2 million override. The higher-numbered option would be implemented in the instance of both questions passing. However, with Tuesday’s vote, neither will now be put into effect.
The $5.4 million option missed passage by just 124 votes, with 2,936 votes for “NO” and 2,812 votes for “YES,” failing 51%-49%. If it had passed, the tax increase to the average Malden homeowner would have been $353 annually,
The $8.2 million option failed with 3,224 “NO” votes versus 2,523 “YES” votes, voted down by a 59%-43% margin. The second option was added to the Special Election ballot after the first of the year in January, when it was explained Malden had another deficit in net school spending, thus the larger request.
Debate between citizens at the five informational forums hosted by city officials and on social media has been plentiful, with many lined up on either side of the issue. Those opposed have claimed Malden has overspent its budget and that the budget and its procedures have lacked adequate oversight. Supporters of the override have cited years-long, critical financial problems, such as inadequate Chapter 70 state aid school funding as well as soaring pension, health care and other fixed costs that outweigh municipal revenues, which are primarily provided through property taxes.
According to city officials, not passing the override will result in job cuts/layoffs of approximately 60 staff positions throughout the city in all departments, including the Malden Public Library, Department of Public Works (DPW), Malden Police Department and Malden Fire Department and in City Hall departments as well.
