Keep Malden Affordable

Keep Malden Affordable A community-driven page opposing the proposed tax override. We believe in fiscal responsibility, transparency, and solutions that don’t overburden residents.

Vote NO Malden on March 31st! https://keepmaldenaffordable.nationbuilder.com/lawnsigns

Tonight, the Malden City Council will receive the FY2027 budget from Mayor Christenson.Please pay close attention to wha...
04/28/2026

Tonight, the Malden City Council will receive the FY2027 budget from Mayor Christenson.

Please pay close attention to what actually happens. Watch which councillors are asking questions and looking for real answers, and which ones are ready to quickly move this along and send it straight to the Finance Committee. That has become the routine, and it does not give residents much insight into how decisions are being made. Only 2 councillors stood with us when we said taxing the residents would not solve a structural deficit without real change.

And there are still A LOT of unanswered questions.

At the April 7th council meeting, the Mayor briefly addressed a major reporting error before running away, taking no questions, and leaving councillors like deer in headlights. What had been presented as a $1.6 million underspend in insurance premiums turned out to be just $62,000. That is a huge difference. That $1.6 million number was used over and over again to justify the override and paint a much worse financial picture.

The Mayor went as far as saying it does not affect the bottom line. More flip flopping to avoid a major error by City Hall. That number CLEARLY influenced decisions and public messaging.

Back in October, we were told to expect a $1.6 million underspend plus another $1.6 million shortfall, meaning $3.2 million was needed just to stabilize the next budget. That clearly doesn’t appears to be the case.

We also heard in November that the FY2027 budget would include about $2 million in cuts. As Chief Strategy Officer Ron Hogan said, every $2 million in cuts equals about 21 positions.

So where are those 21 cuts? Will they be school resource officers like Mayor Christenson promised, the gardener or DEI coordinator, or will they go straight for public safety employees and keep City Hall intact?

If those cuts were part of the plan, residents should be able to clearly see them.

We are also hearing that savings from moving to the GIC may be higher than expected. That is another piece of the puzzle that should be clearly explained.

And all this time since, we still have not heard from the Finance Committee about any long term financial plan. That was a major concern during override discussions. There has been talk of a financial management review, but that does not help with decisions being made right now.

How about economic development? We have not heard from OSPCD Director Alex Pratt about any real plan to grow revenue and strengthen the city’s finances. Cuts alone are not a long term solution.

If you run the numbers, the picture looks very different than what residents were told though. A $5.4 million override, minus $2 million in planned cuts, minus the $3.2 million that no longer appears necessary, leaves about a $200,000 gap.

It is no surprise that trust has taken a hit, especially with this information coming out two days after the special election.

So what will we see tonight? A real conversation with transparency and accountability, or another step that moves this forward without much discussion?

Also worth noting, the Finance Committee will meet before City Council at 5:30 pm. On the agenda is the City’s Consolidated Plan filing with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for FY2027 and a discussion on the schedule for reviewing the full FY2027 annual appropriation order.

You can watch tonight’s meeting on Teams, on Malden Access TV, or on the UMA YouTube channel. You can also show up in person.

If you want your voice heard, consider submitting a public comment to [email protected] for docket item 233-26, where the Mayor will submit the annual appropriations order for the general fund. Residents should be calling for a detailed budget process.

Residents should be paying attention.

🚨 Malden residents: this is happening TONIGHT!!!Meetings like this often go unnoticed until plans are finalized and cons...
04/13/2026

🚨 Malden residents: this is happening TONIGHT!!!

Meetings like this often go unnoticed until plans are finalized and construction is already underway. By then, it’s too late to have a real say.

The Route 60 redesign will directly impact traffic, parking, and daily life for everyone who lives, works, or commutes through Malden.

The city says this is grant funded but that doesn’t mean free. Many of these projects require local matching dollars, which can come back on taxpayers.

If you care about how our roads function, you need to be in the room.

📍 Malden City Hall
🕕 Tonight at 6PM

Can’t attend? Take the survey — it’s critical that residents speak up:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=LG88QZohkkaX0_K02AKB53d8Jmm82TJPr-XltB-9DndUQkFHRFZZUzVDMEI0OU1IRldZWVlaSjZRNS4u&route=shorturl

Don’t sit this one out. Show up, speak up, and be heard.

As we near two weeks since the special election, it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve done and what still needs to ...
04/11/2026

As we near two weeks since the special election, it’s a good time to reflect on what we’ve done and what still needs to be done. The work to Keep Malden Affordable did not end on Election Day. It is just getting started.

Two days after the election, we learned the city submitted incorrect insurance premium numbers in its end-of-year report to DESE. If this mistake had not been caught, taxpayers could have paid an extra $1.6 million for insurance the city already paid. This is a serious error with real impact on residents. And why were we not notified when this came to light? Why did the Mayor wait until after the special election? We know the answer, don't we?

"Mistakes" like this require accountability. But when the Mayor appeared before the City Council last Tuesday, there was no apology. There was no clear explanation. He did not take questions. That is not the leadership Malden deserves.

We will not turn our backs on this city. We will stay focused on our mission to Keep Malden Affordable, both in words and in action. At the same time, we urge residents to stay involved and informed.

Two current Malden City Councillors are now running for the Fifth Middlesex District Senate seat being vacated by Senator Jason Lewis. They are campaigning on promises to fix our financial challenges. But residents should ask, if these solutions exist, why haven’t they acted already? As sitting councillors, they have helped shape the city’s financial decisions. Residents deserve to know how we got here and what could have been done differently.

Your voice matters. Ask questions. Attend meetings. Stay engaged.

We also want our supporters to know this campaign was truly grassroots. In less than two weeks, we will file our 30-day post-election finance report with the City Clerk. It will show that this victory was achieved with less than $2,500 spent, less than the $3,500 Mayor Christenson donated from his own campaign account to the Yes for Malden campaign. This was powered by people, not big money.

The work continues. And together, we will keep fighting to Keep Malden Affordable for everyone.

Well, we thought KMA would get a small break before calling out the city for another blunder but here we go.The timing h...
04/03/2026

Well, we thought KMA would get a small break before calling out the city for another blunder but here we go.

The timing here isn’t just concerning, it’s hard to ignore.

For months, residents were told Malden Public Schools faced a $1.6 million net school spending shortfall. That claim shaped public discussion, budget decisions, and ultimately a citywide vote on a tax override.

Now, one day after that override fails (yes folks, 1 day!) we’re being told something VERY different.

Due to “outdated insurance rates,” the City now says the shortfall may have been closer to $62,730, not $1.6 million. At the same time, the City has already identified roughly $3 million in savings from moving to the GIC.

So within 24 hours, the financial picture shifts by millions of dollars.

Residents were warned about layoffs. Urgency was emphasized. Sacrifices were expected. And now the numbers are changing, after the vote.

That raises serious questions.

How does a $1.6 million reporting error happen in the first place? Who provided the incorrect data? What checks and balances failed? And why wasn’t this caught before asking residents to make a major financial decision?

At a minimum, this points to a significant breakdown in financial oversight.

At worst, it raises deeper concerns about whether the full and accurate picture was ever clearly presented to the public.

Either way, residents have every right to question what they were told and why.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about accountability, transparency, and trust.

When millions of dollars appear or disappear overnight, people deserve answers and someone needs to be held accountable.

04/01/2026

With a turnout of 15% of registered voters, the $5.4 million override option fell short by just 124 votes.

We launched this campaign on September 29th when we filed with the City Clerk. No big money. No political machine. Just ...
04/01/2026

We launched this campaign on September 29th when we filed with the City Clerk. No big money. No political machine. Just residents who were fed up and willing to do the work.

With limited funds, we got signs on lawns, dug into the city’s finances, and exposed what too many elected officials hoped no one would question. And the more people learned, the clearer it became, this wasn’t about necessity, it was about mismanagement.

Let’s be honest about what sparked this: the city’s first move was to ask residents to cut back on their own household budgets before making real cuts to its own spending. People saw right through that.

And they responded.

Question 1A failed by just 124 votes. Close? Yes. But it still failed. And that matters. Because it proves that even without mailers, robotexts, or deep pockets, a determined group of residents can stand up and say “no.”

This wasn’t luck. This was accountability.

Residents made it clear: their hard earned money is not a safety net for poor decisions at City Hall. We’ve been through tough times before without raising taxes, and we got through it because leaders made hard choices. That’s what leadership looks like.

To every volunteer who rallied and held signs, donated, delivered signs, and collected ballot numbers last night — you made this happen. This result belongs to YOU.

But don’t get comfortable.

This was a warning shot, not a final victory. The same issues are still there, and the same people are still in charge. If anything, this result makes the next steps even more important.

We’re not letting up. We’re going to keep digging, keep asking questions, and keep demanding transparency and accountability from our elected officials.

This isn’t over. Not even close.

Questions 1B Defeated!!!Question 1A DEFEATED BY 124 VOTES.
04/01/2026

Questions 1B Defeated!!!

Question 1A DEFEATED BY 124 VOTES.

04/01/2026

Update:

Question 1B had failed with over 3000 people voting NO!

Question 1A is close and we are still tallying however it looks like question 1A failed as well.

Election Day is here—this is our moment. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Let’s show up and be heard.Since September 29...
03/31/2026

Election Day is here—this is our moment. Polls are open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Let’s show up and be heard.

Since September 29th, we’ve worked, organized, and fought for Malden. Now it all comes down to today—and every single vote matters.

Pick up the phone. Text your friends. Knock on a neighbor’s door. Offer rides. Join our volunteers and stand with us. Let’s turn energy into action.

We are fighting to keep Malden affordable—and we are not backing down. Let’s finish strong.

Get out and vote NO!!!!!

We are down to the wire and we have the same amount of answers as we did October 7th when this override was first discus...
03/30/2026

We are down to the wire and we have the same amount of answers as we did October 7th when this override was first discussed: ZERO!

Malden residents deserve honesty before they’re asked to hand over more money.

Here are the facts:

The city is sitting on $22 million in cash reserves.

During the last budget cycle, the City Council Finance Committee held four meetings and never once pressed department heads to reduce spending.

The school budget for FY25 was $121 million - and they didn’t even spend what was required.

At the same time, the city is spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on lawsuits to keep information hidden - on both the city and school sides.

And now, they’re asking you for more of your hard-earned money… without any explanation of where it'll go.

There has been ZERO effort to renegotiate vendor contracts, cut redundant staffing, or identify new revenue opportunities. Instead, we’ve seen months of scare tactics — without real solutions or accountability. Malden is asking you to blindly give more.

This isn’t responsible leadership. It’s avoidance.

The Society of Professional Journalists recently named Massachusetts a 2026 “Black Hole” award recipient — a dishonor for lack of government transparency.

If we’re being honest, Malden could be leading the pack.

No transparency.
No accountability.
No leadership.

No Tax override!

Vote No on questions 1A & 1B.

🗣 Call your friends, family and neighbors to tell them to hold the line and VOTE NO TOMORROW.

Address

Malden, MA
02148

Website

http://www.keepmaldenaffordable.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Keep Malden Affordable posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category