Ballot questions ask voters to approve or reject spending items — typically bonds — or changes to the form, structure or purpose of local government, often by amending the charter. The questions are listed as they will appear on the ballot, with Banner staff providing an explanation of what the question would do and what a “for” or “against” vote means.

Question A

Charter amendment, increase County Council to nine members

Sections 201, 204, 206, 207, 522, 601, and 1201 of the Baltimore County Charter are amended to: increase from 7 to 9 the number of Councilmembers and Council Districts; make membership on the County Council a full-time position for purposes of determining compensation; provide for an equal number of Board of Appeals members as the number of Councilmembers, and that no more than two-thirds of the Board of Appeals members may belong to the same political party; increase from 7 to 9 the number of Council appointments to the Planning Board; provide for an equal number of members of a councilmanic redistricting commission as the number of Councilmembers, with each Councilmember nominating one member and subject to Council confirmation; provide that redistricting of Council Districts may only occur: before October 1, 2025, after each decennial U.S. Census, or during the year after ratification of a Charter amendment changing the number of Council Districts; and increase from 6 to 8 the number of affirmative votes required for the Council to approve a legislative act that proposes a ballot question to terminate the Charter and return the County to a county commissioner form of government.

Explanation: This would expand the number of County Council members to nine from seven. The measure also reclassifies County Council positions as full-time jobs for compensation purposes, including salary and pensions. A “for” vote approves the expansion; an “against” vote maintains the current seven-member council.

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Question B

Charter amendment, Office of the Inspector General

Sections 801, 1008, and 1014 of the Baltimore County Charter are amended to: establish the Office of the Inspector General, the purpose of which is to provide increased accountability and oversight in the operations of county government; provide the Inspector General with subpoena power; set qualifications for the Inspector General; and provide for the Office of the Inspector General to be funded as a separate budget entity.

Explanation: This amendment would add the county’s Office of Inspector General, currently established by ordinance, to the county charter. A “for” vote would amend the charter to add the OIG; an “against” vote would reject the amendment.

Question C

Charter amendment, Planning Board term limits

Section 522 of the Baltimore County Charter is amended to create a term limit for Planning Board members of three consecutive terms and to make all appointments to the Planning Board subject to confirmation by the County Council.

Explanation: This would limit Planning Board members to three, three-year terms beginning no later than Jan. 1. All Planning Board members would be confirmed by the County Council. A “for” vote would approve the term limits; an “against” vote would reject them.

Question D

County ordinance, refuse disposal borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $5,000,000 for refuse disposal projects, including but not limited to: construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, closing and capping, repair, and modernization of county refuse disposal facilities, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: This is for ongoing maintenance and site remediation at the county’s landfills, including maintaining leachate treatment facilities, compliance and regulatory work, construction of landfill cells, annual paving work and miscellaneous site development.

Question E

County ordinance, community college borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $18,500,000 for community college projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, improvement, enlargement, alteration, maintenance, repair, modernization, and development of buildings and other improvements for community colleges; the architectural, engineering, and other services incident thereto; and the acquisition of land, furnishings, and equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: This would help fund the cost of building and maintaining community college facilities.

Question F

County ordinance, public works borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $55,440,000 for public works projects, including but not limited to: streets and highways, bridges, and storm drainage systems, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: Road resurfacing, storm drain repair and replacement, street rehabilitation, including traffic calming and sidewalk construction, streetlight maintenance, replacement of two bridges over CSX: Piney Grove Road and Lansdowne Boulevard.

Question G

County ordinance, parks, preservation and greenways borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $8,000,000 for the purpose of parks, preservation and greenways projects, including but not limited to: acquisition, construction, maintenance, and equipping of playgrounds, parks, community centers, and recreational facilities; related engineering, architectural, and other services; and the acquisition and maintenance of equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: This money would help Baltimore County connect more of its parks with greenways and acquire more parkland to meet environmental commitments and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Question H

County ordinance, school borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $331,140,000 for school buildings and site projects, including but not limited to: the acquisition, construction, maintenance, and modernization of buildings and sites for school purposes; architectural and engineering services; and recreation and pedagogical equipment for such buildings and sites, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: This money would help expand the capacity of Baltimore County’s public school system.

Question I

County ordinance, agricultural and rural land preservation borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $6,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects, including but not limited to the purchase of land, development rights, conservation easements and other real property approved by the County Council pursuant to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program and the Rural Legacy Program or other similar federal or state programs, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: This money would help preserve agricultural land and maintain working farms.

Question J

County ordinance, community improvement project borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $4,000,000 for community improvement projects, including but not limited to construction, renovation, extension, alteration, repair or modernization of: street curbs; gutters; water; sewer and other utilities; sidewalk improvements; interior and rear access improvements; landscaping and lighting improvements; building and other structural improvements; and sidewalk and pedestrian system improvements, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Explanation: The county would implement projects in the eight Sustainable Communities areas and in selected Commercial Revitalization Districts, which it has not named yet.

Question K

County ordinance, waterway improvement program borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $20,000,000 for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, extension, alteration, repair and modernization of waterway improvement and stormwater-related projects, including but not limited to: shoreline stabilization; shore erosion control; wetland restoration; streambank and riverbank restoration; stabilization and reconstruction; control and monitoring of nonpoint pollutants; landscaping; dredging; planting of trees and similar waterway improvement projects in residential, rural and commercial areas; and engineering and other services incident thereto, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.

Question L

County ordinance, operational buildings borrowing

AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $130,500,000 for public operational buildings, including but not limited to: general, health, police, fire, recreation, library, senior center, and jail buildings or facilities, and necessary or desirable equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter.