Malden council votes to place two tax‑override options on special election ballot
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Summary
After public comment and a seven‑meeting finance review, the council adopted an order sending two Proposition 2½ override questions — $5.4M and $8.2M annually — to a special municipal election on March 31, 2026, with amended ballot language to meet state requirements.
The Malden City Council voted to put two Proposition 2½ override questions on a special municipal election ballot for March 31, 2026, following public comment, emails and a finance committee review.
The finance committee recommended two separate questions: 1A, an additional $5,400,000 in annual real‑estate and personal property taxes; and 1B, an additional $8,200,000 annually. Councilor McDonald, the finance committee chair, told the council the committee had met seven times and moved the election date to March 31 to provide more time for public information. He explained the ballot mechanics: "If both questions pass, option 1B will prevail with the higher dollar amount."
Mayor Christiansen framed the proposal as a response to a structural fiscal gap. "We are burning through reserves at a level that isn't sustainable," he said, citing a combination of rising mandated school spending under the Chapter 70 formula and other pressures. The finance presentation estimated household impacts at the median single‑family valuation ($666,000): about $353 per year for Option 1A and $532 per year for Option 1B, and noted a recently raised residential exemption that reduces homeowners’ net increase.
Council discussion ranged from procedural questions — confirmation that a simple majority of the council can place the questions on the ballot — to larger fiscal arguments and alternatives such as rezoning, fee increases and debt exclusions. Several public commenters and emailed statements urged the council to give voters a choice to avoid possible layoffs; others asked for more public input or an independent management review before asking voters to raise taxes.
Councilor McDonald offered technical amendments to the ballot language after consulting legal counsel: removing campaign‑style 'yes/no' explanations from the question text, simplifying the language about which question prevails, and striking phrasing that might improperly describe uses of funds. The council approved the committee report amendments and then the order as amended in recorded roll calls.
The order specifies the ballot would instruct voters that questions 1A and 1B are separate and independent and that if both pass the higher amount prevails. Under the council motion, the questions would take effect for fiscal year beginning 07/01/2026 if approved by voters. The council President and administration and councilors said they will hold public education forums before the special election.
