Mayor Gary Christiansen urged the Malden City Council on Tuesday to refer a proposed Proposition 2½ override that would allow the city to assess an additional $5,400,000 in real estate and personal property taxes beginning in fiscal year 2026.

Christiansen said the city’s revenues “no longer support our expenses” and recommended the levy-limit increase be combined with a planned move to the state Group Insurance Commission for health coverage that he estimated would save the city about $3,000,000 a year.

The proposal—filed as council paper 363-25—would place the question on a special municipal election ballot on Feb. 10, 2026. A city memo read into the record said the additional levy authority would “stabilize the city’s budget and support ongoing city services across all departments, including public schools, public safety, public library, public works, and general government,” beginning with the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2026.

The council heard nearly two hours of public comments by residents and emailed submissions both supporting and opposing an override. Commenters who opposed the override argued the city should cut spending or produce an independent audit before asking homeowners to pay more; those in favor said additional, predictable revenue was needed to avoid deeper service cuts.

Council debate ranged widely. Councilor Simonelli said he was “totally against” an override at first but would send the matter to committee to get answers. Councilor Spadafore and others focused on the state school funding formula, saying Malden is required to spend a higher share of local dollars on education than many peer cities and that the difference strained the rest of the municipal budget. Councilor McDonald, who chairs finance, and Councilor Winslow emphasized the need for public meetings and clear information before any final council action.

On a motion by Councilor Cica, seconded by Councilor Taylor, the council voted to refer paper 363-25 to the finance committee for detailed review. The motion carried on a voice vote; councilors said the referral will be used to schedule committee hearings and public sessions where residents can ask questions and see detailed cost and impact calculations.

The mayor’s materials include an example tax impact: an average single-family house assessed at $650,000 would see about a $351 annual increase, or roughly $30 per month, if the override were approved as proposed. Officials cautioned that actual impact varies by assessed value and that finer calculations will be part of the finance committee process.

The council’s referral does not put the question on the ballot; it simply sends the mayor’s proposal to the finance committee for hearings and analysis. Committee deliberations will determine whether the council later authorizes placing the question before voters.