Malden Candidate Profile: Karen Colón Hayes For City Council

MALDEN, MA — With the Malden Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Karen Colón Hayes, who is an incumbent running for one of three at large seats on the Malden City Council. She initially won her at large seat on the City Council in 2021.

Karen Colón Hayes previously served as the director of Human Services and Community Outreach for the City of Malden.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Karen Colón Hayes

How old will you be as of Election Day?

56

Does your campaign have a website?

https://karencolonhayes.com

What city or town do you live in?

Malden

What office are you seeking?

City Councillor At-Large

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Education

Bachelor's degree and one-year Masters program

What is your occupation?

City Councillor At Large

Family

I have a wonderful husband, Patrick Hayes, and three girls all of whom graduated from Malden Public Schools and are now in college, applying for trade school and working. I have a dog named Shiloh and a cat named BMO.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I am currently a Councillor At Large

Why are you seeking this office?

I'm thrilled to officially announce my campaign for re-election as a Malden City Councillor At Large. In my first term, I have worked hard to deliver on my commitment to make Malden more inclusive, forward-thinking and resilient. Together we have accomplished so much — and I look forward to continuing that work.

I have consistently pursued my vision of a more transparent and accessible government by working with my colleagues to create policy to ensure that all our meetings will be accessible to the public, both in person and virtually. As a member of the Finance Committee, I successfully pushed for our budget meetings to be virtual — for the first time ever in Malden. I am working hard to bring transparency and accountability to the City Council, and that includes keeping the public updated on agendas, what is being voted on, and how I have voted on each matter that comes before the Council. I am always happy to share my views, always willing to listen, and always committed to making informed decisions based on facts and data.

We are making progress and expanding communications in the city with the help of our language access coordinator. Language access is a critical component of equal access to local government services and improved engagement. Barriers are preventing people from engaging. I helped organize the first city meeting translated in real time for our Asian community. This was the first of more to come in different languages which will connect our residents with city government. I attended the Racial Equity Commission meetings and co-sponsored a resolve to engage a consultant, host town hall community meetings, analyze demographic data and review the past history of racial equity efforts to make recommendations to the administration and elected officials.

We need forward-thinking leaders. Balancing immediate needs with long-term planning, setting clear priorities, and making conscious trade-offs — these are the keys to moving Malden forward. Malden will be facing some real financial difficulties in the coming years and we must develop a plan to address the challenges heading our way.

These (challenges) include funding pension benefit costs for city staff and retirees, paying Malden's required contribution to the Northeast Metro Tech High School construction project; repairing our parking garages, roads, and city buildings; continuing to remove lead pipes and making our water safer; and funding great public schools for the next generation.

One of my top priorities is community safety. Our first responders must have the tools, training, and resources they need to do their jobs. I was part of the committee that worked in collaboration with the mayor's office, the police chief and community members to unanimously vote on a city ordinance establishing a Police/Community Advisory Council. The aim is to promote public awareness and community engagement on the city's police services, programs, and general public safety issues. The PCAC will also help to facilitate open dialogue and assist the Malden Police Department in its public safety mission.

We need to balance our wants and needs. I support the Malden River Works Project and the idea of an Arts and Culture Center as well as the public park renovations, but we urgently need to develop a plan to expand our revenue sources and tax base to offset future expenses.

I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow councillors to develop this plan. I bring to the table 25 years of experience in management, including 10 years as the Human Services and Community Outreach Director for the City of Malden. I have a proven track record of balancing a budget and increasing revenue sources with grant funding.

But grants alone will not fund our city. We have already missed years of potential revenue from the delay in opening cannabis shops, but we can improve the situation by changing our restrictive ordinances. Malden is a desirable place to live, work, and run a business. Let's capitalize on that attractiveness and welcome more new businesses of all types to Malden.

If we are to thrive as a city, we can no longer rely on business-as-usual and reactive, siloed decision-making. Urban resilience demands that we look holistically at our capacities and risks; that perspective is possible only if we engage meaningfully with all parts of our community, including our most vulnerable members. This engagement is not easy — it requires dedication and hard work.

When my husband Pat and I chose Malden as the place we would raise our family, we immediately became invested in this wonderful city. We volunteered at community events, we helped organize a neighborhood improvement group (FOOGI), we volunteered for the PTO and school activities, we coached soccer and softball, we led Girl Scout troops and made lifelong friends.

Serving the people of Malden has been a top priority for me for the past 30 years and
my commitment has never been stronger!

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______ and this is what I intend to do about it.

Lack of affordable housing. What I hear most from residents is it has become too expensive to buy a home or rent an apartment in Malden. This is forcing people out and will in turn change the makeup of our great city. Unfortunately, those who have been in office the longest did not do anything to try and prevent gentrification. I worked hard over 10 years ago to try and implement inclusionary zoning, but it was met with resistance.

There have been many missed opportunities by our current administration and long-term city councillors to address this urgent issue. It was only when the community pushed and forced our elected officials to do something did they become concerned about affordability. I am currently a board member on the Metro North Housing Corporation where we partnered with Bread of Life to build 14 affordable housing units in Malden and I am on the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) committee where we are looking to purchase abandoned properties and convert to affordable homes. These will be owned by residents and give families an opportunity to build generational wealth.

I will advocate making changes to our inclusionary zoning to include lower-income families and make it difficult for developers to choose paying into the affordable housing trust fund and instead include affordable housing in their projects. We should be working to have diverse housing and not separate homes for lower-income people. We can all learn from each other.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am forward-thinking and transparency and accessibility are very important to me. One of the long-term candidates running for at large has repeatedly tried to silence the people of Malden. From voting against certain groups from speaking at public meetings, to making a decision not to offer ZOOM meetings so our community can participate in local government virtually. I am also the only woman running at large and the first Puerto Rican on the City Council, and I have over 30 years of community experience in Malden.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I already mentioned a few things about the long-term opponent and his ineffectiveness in controlling our housing market. I also believe he has failed to give the people a voice. We need forward-thinking and inclusive leaders.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I will continue to fight for an open and transparent government. I will also continue to work on making Malden a green community by fighting for open, green space and implementing the climate action plan once it is completed.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have over 30 years experience in management. This includes director-level experience and managing large budgets. I know how to get things done on a budget and I have experience in grant writing, which will become even more essential as we lose the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding in 2024. I am a collaborator by nature and work well with others to come up with innovative solutions to problems.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

To follow your moral compass and be mission-driven. If you do this, you will never lose your way. This great advice was given to me by my best friend (who also happens to be my husband of 30 years!).

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

To contact me if they have any questions, I do not shy away from tough questions and will be upfront and honest. They may have heard some false information as of late, and I would be happy to discuss. My number is 781-704-6342.