Monday, March 24, 2014

Challenging Times Ahead

Dear Malden Residents:

With another budget season upon us, we are faced with the reality that our revenues in the new fiscal year will not be sufficient to support our expenses. As most of you know, we are limited on what we can do relative to increasing revenues. Specifically, we are capped on property tax growth to 2 ½ percent per year and we don’t have any real maneuverability on our local receipts as these remain fairly constant year to year.

Additionally, state aid, in the form of unrestricted aid and school aid, promises to be a challenge. The proposal from the Commonwealth reveals that unrestricted local aid will increase $300K and funding for education will increase by only a little more than $200K. Meanwhile, our State Assessments, which include items such as the MBTA and Charter School tuition payments, increased resulting in a net decrease in Local Aid. Finally, our reliance on one-time resources in the amount of $5M in the current fiscal year to keep the city’s operations intact, have been all but exhausted going into the new fiscal year.

Since we are severely limited on what we can do on the revenue side of the balance sheet, we have to look toward our expenses to balance the budget, which by state law is required each year beginning on July 1. With most of the city budget being consumed by personnel costs, I already find myself not being able to sleep at night knowing that the decisions that need to be made to achieve the balance will not be easy.

There is no doubt that we find ourselves in a tough spot, but I am confident that if we work together we will meet the challenges that lie ahead. Despite our current fiscal situation, there are a lot of great things happening in our City and we continue to move forward with many successful projects and initiatives. Take a look here to see all that we have accomplished this past year. Thank you. 

Sincerely,

GARY CHRISTENSON
City of Malden, Mayor

15 comments:

  1. This is indicative of the situation involving the citizenry in general; living within means. Unlike government, we don't have the option of giving ourselves a raise by raising taxes - and that's why they're limited to rein in unfair taxation.

    The thing to do is follow the money. See where there's fraud, waste and abuse. I'm sure you'd recoup a great deal of money. Also - see where the government's spending money it shouldn't be and dedicate these funds to areas where it should be invested - like infrastructure.

    City streets are one big pothole.

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  2. If you need more revenue maybe Malden should try permit parking throughout the city. It will create jobs and revenue.

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    1. As far as I know, that program is already in place.

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  3. I have an idea. Fire everyone on the Traffic Enforcement. They are useless and many times ticketing unfairly. Now here's the good part. Hire "real" officers and position them to catch speeders going through our city. Also I can think of many intersections where vehicles just blow through stop signs like they weren't even there. Place a cruiser at the intersections of Laurel, Granite and Freemont Sts. AND at Jacob and Dodge St. I've seen hundreds of vehicles blowing right through these stop signs. The Police Dept. would rake in a good $500.00 a day JUST at these intersections. $500.00 (or less) X 365 days = $182,500. Not exactly chump change!!! Imagine if this was done throughout the city? Because there is no "speed limit" sign on my street it is "presumed "35 MPH" (same as Eastern Ave). Come down North Milton St at 35 MPH and you'll realize it should be posted at 25 MPH. I have been asking the city many times to have my street posted at 25 MPH and all I hear so far are crickets.

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    1. Actually, you should know that the law has changed. Unposted speed limit is no longer 35 mph, it is 30. http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/default.asp?pgid=content/traffic/speedReg&sid=about

      Statutory Speed Limits

      Chapter 90, Section 17 of the MGL dictates statutory speed limits in the absence of official speed postings made under 90-18. In other words, if a speed limit has not been established under Chapter 90, Section 18 (which requires the posting of speed limits according to a special speed regulation which is the result of an engineering study) the roadway can be enforced according to 90-17 (no speed signs posted). The statutory speed limits are:

      20 mph in a school zone
      30 mph in a thickly settled or business district for a distance of 1/8 of a mile
      40mph on an undivided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for a distance of 1/4 of a mile
      50 mph on a divided highway outside of a thickly settled or business district for a distance of 1/4 of a mile.

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    2. Beth, if you had read my post a little more closely enough, I mentioned I live on North Milton St. One block from the Charter School. Besides, 30 MPH down any "small" street IS fast. Try going 30 MPH down ANY small street and see the looks you'll get from the neighbors living on that street. BTW, I'm 61 yrs old and got my license at 17 yrs. old. Thanks for the recap on driving Regs. and the rules of the road. *WINK, WINK*

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  4. Difficult to hear this "hard times ahead" speech when the city is on the brink of building a brand-new, state-of-the-art City Hall which will include reconfiguring the street that used to run through it -- especially given the hint the mayor has supplied that city employees will be let go. Who will sit in that new city hall? While there will be a new lovely building for fewer city employees, who is attending to the infrastructure? The roads in Malden are disgraceful.

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  5. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS. WHAT DOES THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAVE TO DO WITH THIS PLEASE EXPLAIN.

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  6. Speeding enforcement: The city would make a boodle if the MPD would monitor & ticket speeders on Goodwin Street & Floral Avenue. Putting a crusier at the cemetery gates on Forest Street isn't enough. As I type these words, 2 cars just went flying down Floral Avenue.

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    1. There are a lot of areas that go unchecked with speed control and stop signs...

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  7. Start allowing more building in the city. The old Stop & shop lot sits empty. Also
    what about the new Baseball field that was going to be built next to the Super
    Stop & Shop which borders Commercial St.? There are many ways to raise
    money seek and you shall find. But more taxes on the people is not one of them.
    Put more police on all the hot spots for speeding which will equal $$$ for the city.
    Stop with pay raises for a year or so Health care did it a few years back.

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  9. I've looked at the city budget for the past 35 years and have seen the various swings of the revenue graph. I believe the city can use more money presently and don't believe there is gross waste in any of the departments. Malden has come a long way since I've been here and we should be innovative in the budget process. You have a CFO and that is a start. If the city can GUARANTEE a retreat from a one year override on 2 1/2, I'd be all for that even though I am in a financial squeeze myself. I WANT top fire, police, schools and admin for my city and am willing to pay for it, but it must come with close, open scrutiny of every dollar spent. I trust the mayor and the other city hall gang can get it done properly, BUT DON'T dare play games, not in these tough times. Fairness all around.

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  10. Why on earth would I even consider voting for a Prop 2 1/2 OVERRIDE - even for only 1 year - when THERE IS ALREADY REVENUE WAITING TO BE COLLECTED FROM MOVING VIOLATIONS?! Again, if the MPD would monitor and TICKET motorists who are speeding through residential areas, there would be a WINDFALL of revenue. I can't even walk my dog across Floral Avenue without almost being hit by a speeder.

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    1. Hi Steve, This is exactly what I was trying to say. There are way too many streets and intersections not even monitored by the MPD. Way too many motorist commuting through our city who don't give a hoot. As many times I have complained about this situation (IE: speed limit on Eastern Ave {{35 mph}}....Riiiiight! All I hear are crickets. I think it's high time I start taking some videos of the intersections I mentioned above in my earlier post. The driving in Malden has gone nuts
      A question to the Mayor or anyone. When the police tag or ticket anyone for speeding etc., do the Police get paid for that time in court? Or are they on their own time? Simple question..
      Input greatly appreciated..

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