Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Language Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Malden council to restore language access jobs as budget vote nears
Summary
Dozens of residents and community groups told the Malden City Council at a public hearing that proposed cuts to the language access coordinator and bilingual clerk staff would curtail voting access and civic participation; councilors said the Finance Committee will vote next week after hearing alternatives.
The Malden City Council heard more than an hour of public comment on the mayor’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget Wednesday night, with repeated pleas from residents and community groups to preserve the city’s language access coordinator position and bilingual clerk staff. Councilor Carrie McDonald, chair of the Finance Committee, opened the public hearing by noting the city faces a budget gap after a failed tax override and that the mayor’s proposal would reduce staff across departments by more than 30 positions while largely protecting school funding.
Community speakers said cutting language access services would undermine residents’ ability to pay bills, vote and use city services. “The language access coordinator and bilingual staff, they are a vital bridge between Asian residents in the city,” said Tong Ying, a resident who described the coordinator’s role in arranging interpretation and outreach. Mina Kim of the Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition added, “Over 70 languages are spoken in the Malden public school system. More than 28% of Malden’s residents identify as API,” underscoring the demand for translation and outreach.
Speakers described concrete impacts: bilingual teams who attend community events and election outreach; seniors who rely on in-person assistance at the clerk’s office; and youth leaders who said the coordinator helps families navigate enrollment and civic processes. Several youth and community leaders submitted emails and read statements urging the council not to eliminate the dedicated position.
Councilor Ryan O’Malley, while not a Finance Committee member, offered a series of budget reallocation ideas he plans to raise in committee: cuts to police and fire overtime, reductions in professional services, and trims to event budgets he said could together free roughly $1.6–$1.8 million and might allow restoration of key positions including language access staff. Council members said any motions on the budget will occur in committee and on the council floor next week; no vote was taken Wednesday.
The hearing closed after a final round of public comment and the council thanked interpreters for assisting the packed chamber. The Finance Committee is scheduled to continue deliberations before the full council vote next week.
