City Manager Fidel Maltez has placed an emphasis on communicating with residents since he took office. Earlier this week, Maltez recorded the latest in his series of public outreach videos to air on Chelsea Community TV. The text of his December video, which focuses on economic development, is below:
Hello, residents of Chelsea. Welcome to Our Community. My name is Fidel Maltez, and it is my honor to serve as your City Manager.
Today, I want to talk with you about two important things: first, what you have been telling us you want for Chelsea’s future through our Comprehensive Masterplan Chelsea Pa’Lante, Chelsea Onward. And second, how we can actually make those things happen, together.
Over the past year, through our master planning process, Chelsea ¡Pa’Lante, Onward!, we have been listening closely with you. Our Community has been clear on what our priorities are:
More housing that our community can afford.
Safer and healthier neighborhoods.
More and better job opportunities.
More parks and green spaces.
Better access to our waterfront.
And better ways to get around the city.
These are meaningful goals. These lofty goals would positively transform Our Community. I want you to know that we want them just as much as you do. To turn these goals into reality, we have to make strategic investments. Those investments cost money, far more money than what our current city budget can support. Proposition 2½ limits how much we can raise in taxes each year. While proposition 2 1/2 protects our residents from being over taxed, it also limits our ability to invest in Chelsea’s future. And while we could use free cash, doing so would drain our rainy-day fund and put Chelsea at serious financial risk for future generations.
So how do we pay for the things residents say matter most? We have two choices.
We can ask residents to vote to raise their own taxes through a debt exclusion or override. This is not uncommon. In 2025, 45 Massachusetts cities and towns had at least one override question on the ballot, including our neighbors in Medford and Winthrop. This is not something we want in Chelsea. The other option is by focusing on growing our tax base through new growth.
New growth for Chelsea means attracting economic development so the city brings in more tax revenue without raising your taxes. New growth is simple: when new buildings go up, old buildings get renovated, or empty land gets developed, the City gains value. And that new value brings in additional tax revenue. New growth is so important because it increases the City’s revenue, without burdening our existing taxpayers, especially homeowners and residents on
fixed income. New growth is simple. If a new construction project adds $5 million in new
value, we multiply that by last year’s tax rate and that becomes new growth revenue. And that revenue keeps coming every year. It helps us fund schools, public safety, parks, roads, all the things we need, without increasing taxes on existing residents. Many of our neighboring communities, especially Somerville, Everett and Revere are benefiting from new growth. Economic development creates jobs, increases incomes, and boosts local tax revenue that goes directly back into community services. This is not about raising what you pay on your tax bill. It is about raising what the city earns through new growth. New growth benefits all of us. Each job created by new development creates another 7.4 jobs in the surrounding economy, jobs in construction, maintenance, transportation, retail, and services. When one business
succeeds, nearby businesses succeed too. Right now, our median household income in Chelsea is $69,000. That is only 63% of what Greater Boston households typically earn. From 2017 to 2022, we lost 1,300 jobs in manufacturing and wholesale trade. We need more
opportunities right here in Chelsea, for Chelsea residents, not less. New growth helps us create those opportunities. Chelsea’s industrial areas, which include our light manufacturing, wholesalers, logistics providers, and waterfront operators, remain critical to Chelsea’s
identity and economy. These are jobs that Chelsea residents rely on. Our goal is to strengthen these industries and expand job opportunities. This keeps our working class character intact, while providing opportunities for future generations.
Chelsea already has multiple vacant, underused, or abandoned sites that are
ready for economic development – today. These are not homes. These are not occupied buildings. These are not thriving community spaces.
These are empty lots, abandoned properties, and long-vacant buildings that are sitting unused.
Economic Development is the most effective way to generate new growth without displacement, without burdening existing neighborhoods, and without taking away anything from anyone.
In other words: we can grow by putting our unused land and properties to work. This is the most responsible, least disruptive, and most financially beneficial path available to us.
And we need your partnership and support. Economic development is a team sport. It works best when residents are engaged, when your voices help shape what gets built and how it serves our community. Economic development and new growth in Chelsea means:
Jobs for Chelsea residents
Homes our families can actually afford
Stronger and safer neighborhoods
More green spaces and waterfront access
Better transportation and parking
Development that reflects our values and protects our quality of life
We are at a pivotal moment. We can move onward, ¡Pa’Lante! with a smart, community-driven approach that benefits everyone. I am asking for your engagement. Come to community meetings. Ask questions. Share ideas. Hold us accountable. And help us build the future that you’ve been telling us you want.
When we work together, we accomplish more. Let us embrace economic development and new growth that serves our residents.
See you next time on Our Community. Thank you, and may God bless the City of Chelsea.