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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 11, 2025 Page 17 BHRC | FROM PAGE 16 from children and families, and hurt local businesses and farmers, Massachusetts is continuing to prioritize programs like these,” said Gov. Healey. “We know that our students succeed when they have access to healthy food, and we can create partnerships that support local businesses and farms in the process.” "It’s important for students to understand where food comes from and how it is produced and prepared,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “The MA FRESH grants are an important tool that connect students to their local food system and produce, while also providing STEM educational opportunities focused on food literacy, nutrition, plant science and agriculture.” HOME EQUITY THEFT LAW – Last year, the House and Senate approved and the governor signed a law, as part of the state budget, that prohibits cities and towns that foreclose on properties on which the owner owes back property taxes, from keeping all of the profits when the city or town sells the property at auction. Prior to passage of this law Massachusetts law allowed this practice. The new law allows the city or town to keep only the amount owed in back taxes and send the remainder to the owner. Last year, the United States Supreme Court ruled that cities and towns that foreclose on properties on which the owner owes back property taxes, cannot keep all of the profits when the city or town sells the property at auction. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, writing a unanimous decision about a similar Minnesota law, said that "a taxpayer who loses her $40,000 house to the state to fulfill a $15,000 tax debt has made a far greater contribution to the public fisc than she owed." The law’s sponsor, Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) says the law is facing a new challenge, proposed as part of a fiscal 2025 supplemental budget filed by Gov. Maura Healey last week, that would make it harder for homeowners to recoup their rightful equity. “The same municipal officials who partnered with private firms to prey upon vulnerable homeowners suffering from immense challenges in their lives are the same special interests who have heavily lobbied the administration to give them another bite at the apple while everyday people continue to lose their life savings,” said Montigny. “There are hundreds of pending cases within the trial court that deserve immediate relief in accordance with the protections provided under the new law, including the reduced interest rate that was previously set at a predatory level.” Montigny continued, “Efforts to weaken these long overdue legal protections will not be tolerated and these elected and appointed municipal officials should be more concerned with helping their residents, not concocting new ways to continue to rob them. It is unacceptable that consumer advocates and the lead legislative sponsor of this measure have been left in the dark while financially driven special interests have been allowed to once again pervade the legislative process. The Healey Administration should immediately rescind its support for these harmful measures that were concocted without consulting the consumer advocates who deal with these difficult cases on behalf of homeowners every day.” NON-LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING COMMISSION (S 6) – The Election Laws Committee held a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a non-legislative redistricting commission to replace the current commission made up exclusively of state legislators. The commission, like the current commission, would be responsible for creating congressional districts, 160 representative districts, 40 senatorial districts and eight councilor districts every ten years based on the national census. The proposed commission would include a dean or professor of law, political science or government from a Massachusetts college, appointed by the governor; a retired judge, appointed by the attorney general; and an expert in civil rights law, appointed by the secretary of state. The other four members would be chosen by the above three members from a list of candidates nominated by the House Speaker, House Minority Leader, Senate President and Senate Minority Leader. Supporters of the proposed commission say the Legislature has abused its redistricting power and often gerrymandered disBHRC| SEE PAGE 19 ~ Legal Notice ~ Notice for Public Comment Period for the City of Malden Annual Action Plan for Program Year 2025 On Monday, April 14th, the draft Annual Action Plan for the City of Malden will be released, and the public comment period will begin. The plan will be published online at https://www.cityofmalden.org/873/HUD-Reports-and-Notices. Hard copies will be made available by request to pgoldstein@cityofmalden.org. Comments may be submitted to pgoldstein@cityofmalden.org with subject line “AAP Public Comment” or to Paul Goldstein, OSPCD, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148. On Wednesday, April 16th, a Community Meeting will take place at 6:00 pm in person at Malden City Hall (215 Pleasant Street). There will be an option to attend the meeting virtually via Microsoft Teams. This meeting will include an overview of the draft Annual Action Plan. On Wednesday, May 14th, the public comment period for the plan will end (comments will be accepted until 5:00 pm on the 14th). The Annual Action Plan, along with the City of Malden’s Consolidated Plan for 2025-2029, must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for review by May 15th. Additional information on the Community meeting, including information on how to join virtually, is available at https://www.cityofmalden.org/calendar.aspx. To request language interpretation or accommodation for a disability, please contact pgoldstein@cityofmalden.org or 781-324-5720. April 11, 2025 City Clerk’s Office 215 Pleasant Streets, Room 220 Malden, Massachusetts 02148 City of Malden Massachusetts Carol Ann T. Desiderio, City Clerk cdesiderio@cityofmalden.org Phone 781-397-7116 www.cityofmalden.org MALDEN CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE The Malden City Council will hold a public hearing in the Herbert L. Jackson Council Chamber, Room 106 on the first floor of Malden City Hall, located at 215 Pleasant Street at 7:05 PM on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, regarding a Home Rule Petition process to repeal sections of the Malden City Charter, as listed below. Section 16 Fire Commissioner and Fire Department Section 20 Supt. of Public Works, City Engineer, Public Works Commission Section 21 Supt. of Public Works, City Engineer, Public Works Commission Section 23A Police Commissioner and Police Department Section 23C Stadium & Athletic Field Commission Section 23D Traffic Commission Section 23F Plumbing Inspector Section 23G Code Enforcement Inspector Section 32 Board of Health If passed, these repealed sections from the Charter will be incorporated within the following chapters of the City’s ordinances. MCC 2.12 Officers, Employees, and Departments MCC 2.16 Board, Commissions, and Committee MCC 9.16 Rental Units; Inspection Required MCC 11 Public Works Hard copy of the proposed Home Rule Petition containing the prospective deletions from the Charter is available for public viewing at the City Clerk’s Office and is posted online at the following link: https://www.cityofmalden.org/197/City-Charter To review the City Ordinances, please visit: https://www.cityofmalden.org/571/ City-Ordinances By: Carol Ann T. Desiderio City Clerk April 11, 18, 25, 2025

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