Democratic sample ballot: Baltimore City

Providing that each budget submitted by the Governor shall include proposed expenditures necessary to implement wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment in each collective bargaining memorandum of understanding with State employees, whether the State and State employees reached those terms and conditions by mutual agreement or through a neutral decider's order. A vote FOR this amendment means that the Governor has to include money in the proposed State budget to pay for agreements between the State and its employees. Agreements might include changes to wages, hours, fringe benefits, health benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Governor must put enough money in the State budget to cover the agreed upon pay and benefits for employees, whether those terms were negotiated or decided by a neutral decision-maker. A vote AGAINST the amendment means that the law about funding agreements between the State and State employees stays the same. (Amending Article III of the Maryland Constitution)

Authorizing temporary substitute appointments to the Commission on Judicial Disabilities when a member is recused or disqualified, or when a member's term expires. In these situations, the Commission Chair may recall a former member of the Commission, or the Governor, at the request of the Commission Chair, may appoint a temporary substitute member or extend the term of a current member until a permanent replacement is appointed. Only individuals who meet the constitutional eligibility requirements may be recalled or appointed to the Commission. A vote FOR this amendment means that temporary appointments to the Commission are allowed if a member is recused, disqualified, or if a member's term ends without a replacement. The Commission Chair can temporarily fill an opening on the Commission with a former member. The Governor can, at the request of the Commission Chair, pick a temporary substitute to fill an opening on the Commission or extend the term of a current member until a replacement is appointed. Only individuals who meet the constitutional eligibility requirements may be recalled or appointed to the Commission. A vote AGAINST the amendment means that current membership rules for the Commission stay the same. Temporary appointments are not allowed if a member is recused, disqualified, or if a member's term ends. (Amending Article IV of the Maryland Constitution)

Question A authorizes the City to borrow up to $22,000,000 to be used for the City's Affordable Housing Program. The money may be used to acquire, redevelop, and dispose of property in the City for this purpose, along with related costs. The money may be used to rehabilitate, construct, and operate rental and homeownership developments, including relocation assistance, rental payments, home purchase assistance, housing counseling, project financing, buyer education assistance, activities to support the development of economically diverse housing in the City, and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The money may also be used to eliminate unhealthy and unsafe conditions, including blight, and may be used to improve land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities, and other structures, including all related costs. Voting for this amendment allows the City to borrow this money. Voting against the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Question B authorizes the City to borrow up to $60,000,000 to be used for school purposes. The money may be used to acquire property in the City for these purposes and to build new or improve existing school buildings, athletic facilities, and community health and recreation facilities, along with all related costs. The money may also be used to acquire equipment for such facilities. Voting for this amendment allows the City to borrow this money. Voting against the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Question C authorizes the City to borrow up to $50,000,000 to be used for the City's economic development program. The money may be used to acquire, develop, and dispose of property in the City for this purpose, along with related costs. The money may be used to eliminate unhealthy and unsafe conditions, including blight, and to create healthy, sanitary, safe, and green conditions in the City. It may be used to stabilize and improve middle neighborhoods and neighborhood retail corridors, as well as to improve land, buildings, streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks, utilities, parks, recreational land or facilities, and other structures, including all related costs. The money may also be used as loans or grants to develop, improve, or construct buildings in the City for residential or commercial purposes, and as loans or grants for growing businesses, attracting and retaining jobs, encouraging homeownership, providing home repair assistance, promoting economic inclusion, achieving whole-block outcomes, improving the City's cultural life, and promoting City tourism. Voting for this amendment allows the City to borrow this money. Voting against the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Question D authorizes the City to borrow up to $148,000,000 to be used for the development of public infrastructure owned or controlled by the City. The money may be used to develop buildings owned by the City, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and public parks and recreational land. It may be used to acquire property in the City and to construct new or improve existing buildings, structures, and auxiliary facilities for use by the City and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The money may also be used to improve, construct, relocate, or repair buildings, streets, highways, alleys, utilities, and other structures, including information technology infrastructure, as well as to acquire and install trees, equipment, and fixtures, along with all related costs. Voting for this amendment allows the City to borrow this money. Voting against the amendment means the City is not allowed to borrow this money.

Question E amends the City Charter to remove the requirement of awarding a contract to the lowest bidder, removes the process for resolving tie bids, and removes provisions governing the bid bonds and performance bonds required by some contractors. Voting for this Amendment removes these provisions from the Charter, which will become effective November 7, 2028, unless an ordinance or regulation governing the topic is adopted sooner. Voting against the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing contract bidding and awards in place.

Question F amends the City Charter's legislative process, the annual budget process, and the role of the Board of Estimates. It shortens the amount of time in which the Mayor can veto legislation passed by the City Council and the amount of time the City Council has to override the Mayor's veto. The Amendment also eliminates the preliminary budget hearing process and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the responsibility to prepare and submit the proposed budget before April 30 each year. The City Council must then adopt the budget at least eight days before the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, and any veto and veto override process must be completed by then. The Amendment removes the current $1 million dollar cap on the amount that may be used as a contingent fund for emergencies or other unexpected needs. It allows the Finance Director and the Planning Commission to make new recommendations about the proposed budget after it is submitted to the City Council and allows the City Council to add amounts based on those recommendations before final passage. The Amendment also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director or the Planning Commission the authority to make supplemental appropriation recommendations outside of the annual budget process. The Amendment transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Department the responsibility to estimate revenues and formulate the annual rates for all property taxes, and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director the responsibility to estimate any surpluses. It also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the authority to increase or decrease the salaries of municipal officers in preparing the budget. The Amendment removes from the Charter a number of other duties assigned to the Board of Estimates, including formulating and executing the fiscal policy of the City, advertising for contracts, establishing the process for professional services contracts and for bidder prequalification, approving emergency contracts, fixing salary and wage scales of employees, approving collective bargaining agreements, determining bonds of City officials, establishing procedures for paying or releasing claims against or claims held by the City, fixing the salary of officials in the State's Attorney's Office, and approving expenditures for new improvements. These roles could be given to other agencies or departments by City ordinance. Voting for this amendment brings about the changes described above, with the following effective dates: November 7, 2028, for Charter sections that are removed, unless an ordinance or regulation governing that topic is adopted sooner; December 5, 2028, for changes to approving and vetoing legislation; and December 3, 2026, for all other changes. Voting against the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing legislation, budget, and the Board of Estimates in place.

Question G amends the City Charter language governing how the City allows third parties to use certain City property. It adds the City's stormwater system to the list of City property that cannot be sold or rented out as a franchise. It clarifies that space in the City's conduit system can be rented out as a franchise, but the conduit system itself still cannot be sold. The Amendment also simplifies the general provisions governing franchise agreements and other such grants. The Amendment updates the language for granting minor privileges to use a portion of City property by clarifying the definition of minor privilege, including temporary and permanent varieties, and permitting minor privileges to be further identified and defined by ordinance. It also removes the Board of Estimates' authority to grant minor privileges, along with related processes, and instead allows minor privileges to be granted by an executive agency under a new process to be established by City ordinance. The Amendment also eliminates certain obsolete provisions in the Charter pertaining to street railways and trackless trolleys. Voting for this amendment brings about the changes described above with the following effective dates: November 7, 2028, for Charter sections that are removed, unless an ordinance or regulation governing that topic is adopted sooner; and December 3, 2026, for all other changes. Voting against the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing franchises and minor privileges in place.

Question H establishes in the City Charter a new Department of Water and Wastewater, which will be supervised and directed by a Director. It transfers from the Department of Public Works to this new Department the responsibility to oversee the City's water supply system and its wastewater system, along with related duties. The Amendment also removes from the Charter the requirement that bureaus within the Department of Public Works must be established or abolished by City ordinance. Voting for this amendment brings about the changes described above, which will become effective January 1, 2029. Voting against the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing water and wastewater systems in place.

Question I is a charter amendment to create the “Baltimore Baby Fund” as a new, separate fund in City government. The City could use money in the Baby Fund only to enhance the economic stability of families with newborns in Baltimore City. The City could not use money from the Baby Fund to replace funding for newborn children that already exists in this year’s City budget. The amendment would require each year’s City budget to include a contribution to the Baby Fund. The City’s required annual contribution to the Baby Fund will be $0.03 for every $100 in taxable property value in the City. The Baby Fund will also be able to accept grants and donations. Money in the Baby Fund will stay in the Baby Fund until the City spends it for the benefit of families with newborns. The City could not transfer money in the Baby Fund to any other purpose. Voting for this amendment would create the Baltimore Baby Fund and require the City to fund it as described above. Voting against this amendment would mean that the Baltimore Baby Fund would not be created.