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Malden council finance chair says city faces long‑term fiscal gap at FY2026 public hearing
Summary
At a May 20 public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, Finance Committee Chair Councilor McDonald warned Malden faces a multi‑year structural gap that will require either spending cuts, revenue increases or both; no budget vote was taken at the hearing.
The Malden City Council held a public hearing on the mayor’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which covers July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. Councilor McDonald, chair of the Finance Committee, told the meeting the budget is “one of the most important things the council does” and outlined the city’s fiscal position.
McDonald said Malden Public Schools are the largest single department in the budget and that the “whole city budget is more like $240,000,000 per year.” He warned the council is relying on one‑time cash to fill a gap—“about $89,000,000”—and said that trajectory is “not sustainable.”
Why it matters: the council’s budget determines funding for schools, public safety, public works, community services and other core city functions. The hearing was an opportunity for public comment and for councilors to flag priorities ahead of appropriation votes later in June.
What councilors said and next steps
Councilor McDonald urged public review of the budget line‑items and noted documents are available online at cityofmalden.org/budget. He said the Finance Committee had met with the school department and others and asked residents to engage during the upcoming weeks before the council votes on the appropriation.
Council President O’Malley and others reminded attendees that the hearing was informational; councilors said they expected to vote on the budget at a future meeting, likely June 17 or June 24. Councilor Winslow called for broad public engagement and community forums before any final decisions.
Public participation
The hearing included an opportunity for the public to speak on the whole budget or particular parts; no individual public comments on dollar amounts were recorded in the meeting transcript beyond councilors’ remarks.
Ending note
No appropriation vote was taken May 20; councilors said the coming weeks would include committee review, constituent input and follow‑up hearings before formal adoption.
