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Malden City Council
How the Malden City Council voted, from the City Clerk's official minutes. 11 councillors: one from each of the city’s 8 wards and 3 elected at large. Sworn in January 5, 2026. Council President: Amanda Linehan (2026; elected January 5, 2026, 10-1). Michelle Luong (at-large) joined the council, succeeding Craig Spadafora. The city has posted minutes through September 8, 2026. The end date (January 2028) is a placeholder for the next inauguration. Covers 26 meetings so far, January 5 to September 8, 2026.
A monthly email on what it voted on, starting in November.
What does the City Council do? It is the city’s lawmaking body. It passes local laws (ordinances), votes on the yearly budget, and approves borrowing and zoning changes.
The mayor runs the city day to day and proposes the budget.
Sources: Mass. General Laws c. 44 § 32 (city budgets)Vote Transparency Score
Malden City Council: 10 out of 10 · Open
How easy Malden makes it to see, online, how each member votes. It scores the city’s records, not any official. Checked October 10, 2026.
- Minutes postedMinutes are posted for every meeting more than three months old.Full points: 2/2
- Each vote namedWhen councillors split, the minutes usually list how each one voted.Full points: 3/3
- Posted quicklyMinutes are posted for every meeting more than a month old.Full points: 2/2
- Past years onlineCity Council minutes going back to 2014 are online.Full points: 1/1
- Readable textThe minutes are text you can search and copy.Full points: 1/1
- Member photosThe city’s website shows a named photo of each councillor.Full points: 1/1
How we score · Something wrong, or has the city made a change? Email info@massvoter.com and we’ll re-check.
A monthly email on its votes, starting in November. We'll also tell you if this score changes.
Council sessions
Coming up
- Tue, Oct 13 · 7:00 pmCity Council →
From the agendas Malden posts on its official site. Agendas can change; the posted agenda is the official one.
Councilors
Karen Colón HayesCouncillor · At-large · at 24 of 26 meetings
Paul CondonCouncillor · Ward 2 · at 24 of 26 meetings
Peg CroweCouncillor · Ward 1 · at 25 of 26 meetings
Michelle LuongCouncillor · At-large · at 25 of 26 meetings
Carey McDonaldCouncillor · At-large · at 24 of 26 meetings
Ryan O'MalleyCouncillor · Ward 4 · at 25 of 26 meetings
Jadeane SicaCouncillor · Ward 8 · at 23 of 26 meetings
Chris SimonelliCouncillor · Ward 7 · at 21 of 26 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Ari TaylorCouncillor · Ward 5 · at 26 of 26 meetings✓ Every meeting 2026
Stephen WinslowCouncillor · Ward 6 · at 26 of 26 meetings"At X of Y meetings" counts the roll call at the start of each meeting in this record. Councilors who step out are listed on each meeting page.
Attendance
26 full-board meetings so far this year, through September 8. Ties share a rank.
1Amanda Linehan26 of 26 meetings Every meeting100%1Ari Taylor26 of 26 meetings Every meeting100%1Stephen Winslow26 of 26 meetings Every meeting100%4Peg Crowe25 of 26 meetings96%4Michelle Luong25 of 26 meetings96%4Ryan O'Malley25 of 26 meetings96%7Karen Colón Hayes24 of 26 meetings92%7Paul Condon24 of 26 meetings92%7Carey McDonald24 of 26 meetings92%10Jadeane Sica23 of 26 meetings88%11Chris Simonelli21 of 26 meetings81%31 full-board meetings in 2025. Ties share a rank.
1Carey McDonald31 of 31 meetings Every meeting100%1Stephen Winslow31 of 31 meetings Every meeting100%3Karen Colón Hayes30 of 31 meetings97%3Peg Crowe30 of 31 meetings97%3Amanda Linehan30 of 31 meetings97%3Ryan O'Malley30 of 31 meetings97%7Jadeane Sica28 of 31 meetings90%7Ari Taylor28 of 31 meetings90%9Paul Condon26 of 31 meetings84%9Chris Simonelli26 of 31 meetings84%11Craig Spadafora24 of 31 meetings77%30 full-board meetings in 2024. Ties share a rank.
1Karen Colón Hayes30 of 30 meetings Every meeting100%2Amanda Linehan29 of 30 meetings97%2Carey McDonald29 of 30 meetings97%2Stephen Winslow29 of 30 meetings97%5Peg Crowe28 of 30 meetings93%5Ryan O'Malley28 of 30 meetings93%5Ari Taylor28 of 30 meetings93%8Paul Condon27 of 30 meetings90%9Jadeane Sica26 of 30 meetings87%10Chris Simonelli22 of 30 meetings73%11Craig Spadafora21 of 30 meetings70%39 full-board meetings in 2023. Ties share a rank.
1Stephen Winslow39 of 39 meetings Every meeting100%2Carey McDonald38 of 39 meetings97%3Peg Crowe37 of 39 meetings95%4Karen Colón Hayes36 of 39 meetings92%4Amanda Linehan36 of 39 meetings92%6Ryan O'Malley35 of 39 meetings90%7Paul Condon33 of 39 meetings85%7Barbara Murphy33 of 39 meetings85%9Jadeane Sica32 of 39 meetings82%10Craig Spadafora30 of 39 meetings77%11Chris Simonelli28 of 39 meetings72%41 full-board meetings in 2022. Ties share a rank.
1Carey McDonald41 of 41 meetings Every meeting100%2Karen Colón Hayes40 of 41 meetings98%2Peg Crowe40 of 41 meetings98%4Paul Condon39 of 41 meetings95%5Amanda Linehan38 of 41 meetings93%5Stephen Winslow38 of 41 meetings93%7Craig Spadafora37 of 41 meetings90%8Barbara Murphy36 of 41 meetings88%8Jadeane Sica36 of 41 meetings88%10Ryan O'Malley35 of 41 meetings85%11Chris Simonelli33 of 41 meetings80%38 full-board meetings in 2021. Ties share a rank.
1Peg Crowe38 of 38 meetings Every meeting100%1Deborah DeMaria38 of 38 meetings Every meeting100%1Amanda Linehan38 of 38 meetings Every meeting100%1Barbara Murphy38 of 38 meetings Every meeting100%5Ryan O'Malley37 of 38 meetings97%6Neal Anderson36 of 38 meetings95%6Jadeane Sica36 of 38 meetings95%6Craig Spadafora36 of 38 meetings95%9Paul Condon35 of 38 meetings92%9Stephen Winslow35 of 38 meetings92%11David Camell32 of 38 meetings84%24 full-board meetings in 2020. Ties share a rank.
1Peg Crowe24 of 24 meetings Every meeting100%1Deborah DeMaria24 of 24 meetings Every meeting100%1Amanda Linehan24 of 24 meetings Every meeting100%1Ryan O'Malley24 of 24 meetings Every meeting100%1Stephen Winslow24 of 24 meetings Every meeting100%6Neal Anderson23 of 24 meetings96%6David Camell23 of 24 meetings96%6Paul Condon23 of 24 meetings96%6Barbara Murphy23 of 24 meetings96%6Jadeane Sica23 of 24 meetings96%11Craig Spadafora21 of 24 meetings88%31 full-board meetings in 2019. Ties share a rank.
1Peg Crowe30 of 31 meetings97%1Deborah DeMaria30 of 31 meetings97%1Jadeane Sica30 of 31 meetings97%1Stephen Winslow30 of 31 meetings97%5Barbara Murphy29 of 31 meetings94%5Ryan O'Malley29 of 31 meetings94%7Neal Anderson28 of 31 meetings90%7David Camell28 of 31 meetings90%7Paul Condon28 of 31 meetings90%10Craig Spadafora26 of 31 meetings84%11John Matheson25 of 31 meetings81%From the official minutes: full-board meetings only (committee meetings are not counted). Members are counted only for meetings held while they served, and arriving late counts as attending. The minutes rarely say why a member was absent. Not shown: 2018, because too many of that year’s meetings are missing from the posted minutes.
A monthly email on its votes and who was there, starting in November.
Meetings
About missing minutes
Loaded: every full City Council meeting with minutes from January 9, 2018 through September 8, 2026 (296 meetings: regular meetings, Committee of the Whole sessions of the whole council, public hearings and inaugural meetings). Committee meetings (Finance, Rules & Ordinance, License and others) are not loaded. Not here: the minutes of September 21, September 28 and November 16, 2021, which the council later approved but which are not posted on Legistar or in the Agenda Center (MassVoter is asking the City Clerk); the January 2018 and January 2020 inaugural meetings, which are not on Legistar; and meetings after September 8, 2026, whose minutes are not posted yet. The minutes of March 4 and March 25, 2025 are missing from Legistar and come from the city’s Agenda Center. Malden’s minutes give each motion with its mover and seconder and either “The motion carried by a unanimous vote” or a roll call by name (“Yea: 10 - … Nay: 1 - …”). For a unanimous vote we show every councillor present voting yes. For a roll call we show each councillor’s vote; councillors listed as recused, excused or absent for that vote, or whom the minutes say had stepped out of the chamber, are left out of it, with a note. When a roll call leaves out a councillor who is on the attendance line without saying why, or names a councillor who is not on it, we show the count only. During the remote meetings of 2020 and 2021 the clerk also typed roll calls into the notes (“Camell (y), Condon (n) …”); these are shown by name too, and misspelled names are matched to the councillor and noted. A count with no names (“a 10-1 voice vote”) shows the count only, and “so voted” with no count shows the result only. Items referred to a committee, received and filed or placed on file are not listed as votes unless the minutes give a roll call by name or someone voted no. Since November 2023 routine items are passed together on a consent agenda, shown as one vote. Votes choosing between people (the 2019 City Clerk; the 2021 and 2022 Council Presidents) show the result only, with a note listing who voted for whom. The city’s Legistar system also publishes vote rows; MassVoter compared them with the minutes and uses the minutes where they differ (for example, the system leaves Stephen Winslow out of most 2018–2022 rows). We will ask the City Clerk to confirm any noted vote.
Votes where councilors disagreed
Most council votes are unanimous. These are the ones where at least one councilor voted no or abstained, newest first.
Sep 8Enroll the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Colon…Passed 10–0 · see note
September 8, 2026: Enroll the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 12.32.060 DEFINITIONS - ZONING is hereby amended by striking the…
A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Ordinance be enrolled.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Hayes, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, WinslowChris Simonelli is on the attendance line but is not listed in this roll call; the minutes say: "Councillor Simonelli was not present in Council Chambers during any of the three votes taken on Paper 326-26 and is therefore reflected as non-voting in the roll call vote." Left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Ordinance be enrolled. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 10 - Colon Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, Winslow and Luong.” (Motion: Crowe, second: Hayes)
Sep 8Ordain the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Sica,…Passed 10–0 · see note
September 8, 2026: Ordain the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 12.32.060 DEFINITIONS - ZONING is hereby amended by striking the…
A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Sica, that the Ordinance be ordained.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Hayes, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, WinslowChris Simonelli is on the attendance line but is not listed in this roll call; the minutes say: "Councillor Simonelli was not present in Council Chambers during any of the three votes taken on Paper 326-26 and is therefore reflected as non-voting in the roll call vote." Left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Sica, that the Ordinance be ordained. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 10 - Colon Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, Winslow and Luong.” (Motion: Crowe, second: Sica)
Jun 23Grant the petition to amend the Special Permit to…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli,…Passed 10–0 · see note
June 23, 2026: Grant the petition to amend the Special Permit to remove the non-transferable condition: Petition: DMS Trinity, LLC dba Trinity Naturals seeking amendment to special permit application #...
A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli, to grant the petition to amend the Special Permit to remove the non-transferable condition.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Hayes, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, WinslowRyan O'Malley is on the attendance line but is not listed in this roll call; the minutes say: "Councillor O'Malley vacated the Chamber at 9:00 PM and is not reflected in the roll call vote taken by the Body." Left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli, to grant the petition to amend the Special Permit to remove the non-transferable condition. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 10 - Colon Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow and Luong.” (Motion: Sica, second: Simonelli)
Jun 23Enroll the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Colon…Passed 10–1 · see note
June 23, 2026: Enroll the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 2.16.040 CEMETERY TRUSTEES is hereby amended by striking subsection (A)…
A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Ordinance be enrolled.
The minutes give only the count (10-1), not who voted no. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Ordinance be enrolled. The motion carried by a 10-1 voice vote..” (Motion: Winslow, second: Hayes)
Jun 23Ordain the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Crowe,…Passed 10–1 · No: O'Malley
June 23, 2026: Ordain the ordinance: Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 2.16.040 CEMETERY TRUSTEES is hereby amended by striking subsection (A)…
A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Ordinance be ordained.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Hayes, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, WinslowNo: O'Malley
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Winslow, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Ordinance be ordained. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 10 - Colon Hayes, Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow and Luong Nay: 1- O'Malley.” (Motion: Winslow, second: Crowe)
Jun 9No members of the Council were interested in discussing…Motion: No members of the Council were interested in discussing the motion…Failed 2–9 · see note
June 9, 2026: No members of the Council were interested in discussing the motion and the question was moved: Order: The Mayor will submit the Fiscal Year 2027 Annual...
No members of the Council were interested in discussing the motion and the question was moved
The minutes give only the count (2-9), not who voted no. Showing the count only.
From the minutes
“No members of the Council were interested in discussing the motion and the question was moved. Motion failed by a 2-9 roll call vote..”
Jun 9Amend the order: Order: The Mayor will submit the…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor O'Malley, seconded by Councillor Colon…Failed 2–9 · No: Condon, Crowe, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow
June 9, 2026: Amend the order: Order: The Mayor will submit the Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Appropriation Orders for the General Fund.
A motion was made by Councillor O'Malley, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Order be amended.
Yes: Hayes, O'MalleyNo: Condon, Crowe, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor O'Malley, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Order be amended. The motion failed by the following vote: Yea: 2- Colon Hayes and O'Malley Nay: 9- Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow and Luong.” (Motion: O'Malley, second: Hayes)
Jun 9Adopt the order for the revised budget appropriation of…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli,…Passed 9–2 · No: Hayes, O'Malley
June 9, 2026: Adopt the order for the revised budget appropriation of june 4, 2026: Order: The Mayor will submit the Fiscal Year 2027 Annual Appropriation Orders for the General Fund.
A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli, that the Order for the revised budget appropriation of June 4, 2026 be adopted.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, WinslowNo: Hayes, O'Malley
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Simonelli, that the Order for the revised budget appropriation of June 4, 2026 be adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 9- Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, Sica, Simonelli, Taylor, Winslow and Luong Nay: 2- Colon Hayes and O'Malley.” (Motion: Sica, second: Simonelli)
May 12Adopt the order: Order: That the City Council will…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Luong, seconded by Councillor Crowe,…Passed 7–2 · No: O'Malley, Sica
May 12, 2026: Adopt the order: Order: That the City Council will vote whether to go into Executive Session with Legal Counsel regarding the matter of Benevolent Botanicals LLC and 926 Eastern Avenue…
A motion was made by Councillor Luong, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Order be adopted.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Linehan, Luong, McDonald, Taylor, WinslowNo: O'Malley, SicaChris Simonelli is on the attendance line but is not listed in this roll call; the minutes say: "Councillor Simonelli was not present in the Chamber at the time this vote was taken." Left out of this vote.
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Luong, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Order be adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Councillor Simonelli was not present in the Chamber at the time this vote was taken. Yea: 7- Condon, Crowe, Linehan, McDonald, Taylor, Winslow and Luong Nay: 2- O'Malley and Sica.” (Motion: Luong, second: Crowe)
May 5Adopt the order: Order: That the Mayor, on behalf…Motion: A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Crowe,…Passed 9–0 · see note
May 5, 2026: Adopt the order: Order: That the Mayor, on behalf of the City be authorized to negotiate and enter into a contract for a period of up to nine years related…
A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Order be adopted.
Yes: Condon, Crowe, Hayes, Luong, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, WinslowLeft out of this vote: Amanda Linehan (recused).
From the minutes
“A motion was made by Councillor Sica, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Order be adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Yea: 9- Colon Hayes, Condon, Crowe, McDonald, O'Malley, Sica, Taylor, Winslow and Luong Recused: 1- Linehan.” (Motion: Sica, second: Crowe)
From the Malden City Council’s official minutes, posted on the city’s Legistar meeting calendar (two 2025 minutes that are missing there come from the city’s Agenda Center). We check every vote against the councillors present and quote the exact wording. MassVoter never grades or scores officials. Councillor photos: City of Malden (cityofmalden.org), from the official City Council directory. Former councillors show initials.
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