Ballot Initiatives for 2024 General Election

Below are the details on the ballot initiatives that are listed in the November ballots.

Question 1 - This ballot initiative adds the right to reproductive freedom to the Maryland Constitution, and that the State of Maryland may not deny that right. Please vote FOR this initiative.

Questions A-D are the bond issues. In order for Baltimore City to borrow money for various capital projects, we must obtain permission from the voters. In the past several years, the city asked voters to allow the City to borrow $80million per year for two years. This is based on the amount of funds the city has to pay back the bonds over time and the needs. This year, the city is borrowing $125million per year for two years. Please vote FOR these bond issues.

1. Affordable Housing loan - borrowing up to $20million for affordable housing production, homebuyer assistance, home repairs, and other similar programs.

2. School loan - $55million for all of the city’s school construction and capital needs.

3. Community Development loan - $50million for projects that help redevelopment in the city’s communities including stabilization and redevelopment of vacant properties, capital needs for cultural institutions, and large redevelopment projects.

4. Public infrastructure - $125million for infrastructure improvements and funds for improvements of our publicly owned buildings and land.

Question E on the Baltimore City Police Department. This charter amendment is the last one we need to ensure that the Baltimore Police Department is run by Baltimore City and that we don't have to go to the General Assembly to change the laws to support or reform our police department. While it reads like we are creating a new department, that is not the case. We are simply moving the Baltimore Police Department from a state entity to a city entity, and giving the Commissioner various powers. The Police Department became an entity of the state in the time near the civil war when the “know nothing” party took over the police department and caused chaos in the city. Since then, Baltimore City tax payers have had to pay for the police department but could not make laws or oversee the department. That changes with this charter amendment so that the police department is an entity of the city. Please vote FOR this initiative.

Question F on the Inner Harbor Park. This charter amendment asks the voters to determine if residential uses should be allowed in the Inner Harbor park. There are a lot of zoning and use regulations for the Inner Harbor in the charter (normally the city council does land use and zoning through ordinances). In order to allow for residential to be in the Inner Harbor park area, the language in this ballot initiative needs to be passed. All of the language here already exists in the charter except for “multifamily residential development and off-street parking”. That part is added in this charter amendment. Please note, this is being contested in court, but you should vote whichever way you would like anyway. I am ok with residential being in the Inner Harbor area, and so I encourage you to vote FOR this initiative.

Question G on the Community Reinvestment and Reparations Fund. This fund is established to create a non-lapsing fund, a fund that does not have to expend all of the funds at the end of a fiscal year. This particular fund will receive the funds from the state that come from the sale of legal cannabis. The 24 jurisdictions in Maryland get a certain portion of the sales tax revenues from the sale of cannabis, and then those are divided to all the jurisdictions by a formula. The funds are designed to assist areas that have been hardest hit by arrests for dealing marijuana, violence because of marijuana sales, or the impact of using marijuana. Other legislation we passed creates a board which would oversee the funding. Please vote FOR this initiative.

Question H on Reducing the City Council size from 14 to 8 Districts. This initiative is sponsored by David Smith who runs Sinclair Broadcasting and is the new owner of The Baltimore Sun. It will reduce the number of city council districts from 14 to 8 districts. This would double the size of each district, meaning we currently represent about 41,000 people per district now and doubling that would enable us to represent 82,000. We would not be able to give personal attention to all of our constituents, it would be impossible. Please vote AGAINST Question H.