Author: opencommonwealth

Who Needs Antonietta Mertz (a.k.a. ‘Toni’)?

Who Needs Antonietta Mertz (a.k.a. ‘Toni’)? Antonietta (‘Toni’) Mertz is the Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance at Malden Public Schools(“MPS”)as of at least May 5, 2023. Is Ms. Mertz representing herself to other districts/municipalities as “Retired”? Ms. Mertz is also identified as the Malden Public School Chief Financial Officer who works “…one day per week to […]

How Much? NO REALLY, How Much?

How Much…. NO REALLY, How Much? The Malden Public Schools appears unable to provide a consistent, reliable dollar amount for the amount of money it expends on legal fees, year over year. OpenCommonwealth has requested these records from DESE, the Controller of the City of Malden, and the Malden Public Schools multiple times. We are […]

Who has Control? Who is in Control?Evidently, not the Controller…

The City of Malden’s Controller has failed to audit the School Department for the last 10 years. The Annual expenditure for Malden Public Schools in the 2025 School Year (Fall 2024-Spring 2025) is a whopping $124.5 Million dollars, this combined with other education related expenses appears to be more than 60% of the entire City budget. […]

“Justice delayed is justice denied.”

In 1868, British Prime Minister William Gladstone famously said, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” The phrase has often been repeated here in the United States, most famously by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who echoed it in his 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”: “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.” In Massachusetts, we, […]

Open Meeting Law

Why does Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbells Division of Open Government fail to publish all pending Open Meeting Law complaints? OpenCommonwealth has filed 18 complaints with the Division between February 18, 2024 and March 8, 2024, of which NONE show up in her current complaints webpage, but many others filed since do: https://shorturl.at/grwE8 Lets hear […]