Fidel Malts, city administrator, told a Chelsea City community meeting that the city faces a choice between asking residents to raise taxes or growing the local tax base through development.

"Tenemos 2 opciones. Podemos pedirle a los residentes que voten para aumentar sus propios impuestos..." Malts said, noting that Proposition 2 limits how much municipalities can raise property taxes each year.

Malts said Chelsea has heard from residents through the Chelsea Palante master plan that they want more affordable housing, safer and healthier neighborhoods, better jobs, more parks and open space, greater access to the waterfront, and improved transportation across the city.

He said the city could draw down reserves but warned that doing so would "agotar nuestro fondo de emergencia y pondr en riesgo financiero para generaciones futuras."

As an alternative, Malts described economic development as a way to increase assessed value and produce recurring property-tax revenue without raising residents' tax rates. He offered an illustrative calculation: "Si un nuevo proyecto de construcci añade 5,000,000 de valor, multiplicamos esa cifra por la tasa de impuesto del a anterior, y eso se convierte en ingresos para la ciudad." He characterized that revenue as useful for schools, police, fire, parks and streets.

Malts said neighboring communities such as Medford and other nearby cities are benefiting from development, which he said creates jobs and broader economic benefits that support local services.

He cited local indicators to make the case for more opportunities in Chelsea: he said the average income in Chelsea is about $69,000 a year ("el ingreso promedio en Chelsea es de 69,000 al año"), which he described as 63% of Boston's average, and he said the city has lost about 1,300 jobs in the last five years.

Malt emphasized the role of Chelsea's light industry, vendors, logistics providers and dock operators as foundational employers and said the city has vacant or underused properties that could be developed "sin desplazamiento" if projects are guided by resident input.

"El desarrollo econ es un deporte de equipo," he said, asking residents to attend community meetings, share ideas and hold leaders accountable so development serves Chelsea residents.

The address closed with a call to action and thanks; Malts said, "Cuando trabajamos juntos, logramos ms." The administration did not announce specific dates or proposals for new projects during the remarks; next steps are community meetings and continued outreach under the Chelsea Palante process.