What is Baltimore City Question H? The number of city council districts is up for vote.
BALTIMORE -- Should Baltimore City have fewer council districts?
Question H asks Baltimore City voters if the council should be reduced from 14 members to eight. If approved, the mayor would need to craft a redistricting plan for the next municipal election year. If approved, the measure would cut council districts in half.
The question was brought forward by People for Elected Accountability and Civic Engagement, also known as P.E.A.C.E. The group previously advocated for the city council term limits, which was approved by the voters in 2022.
The arguments for and against Question H
P.E.A.C.E. says this will save taxpayers, but public officials argue it will be just a small fraction of the overall budget.
"Why is it that the government doesn't want you to affect their jobs when they're allowed to constantly tax you, they aren't doing the responsibilities that they have to do, and they're demanding more from you when we can't demand more from there?" said Jovani Patterson, chairman for P.E.A.C.E.
The group is funded by David Smith, the chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns WBFF-TV and The Baltimore Sun. According to WJZ's media partner the Baltimore Banner, Smith bolstered the campaign and spent $415,000 this election cycle on this ballot initiative.
P.E.A.C.E. counters that argument, saying more people should be involved in the political process.
"Why don't we have more people funding or helping to fund or get out the corruption and root out the inefficiencies of government?" Patterson asked.
"Chaos"
Councilman Zeke Cohen, the Democratic nominee for Baltimore City Council President, says fewer council districts will lead to potential chaos in City Hall.
"Our democracy is working here in Baltimore," Cohen said. "There is turnover. When people are dissatisfied with their elected representation, they vote for someone else. Why would we want to throw all of that into chaos?"
Courtney Jenkins, president of the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO Unions, says by reducing council seats, it could limit who has the chance to run for office.
"We know when that happens, working people, people of color, women especially, have a harder time getting elected to public office when those viewpoints and that voice is necessary," Jenkins said.
"Don't want to lose my council person"
Maya Muñoz, who owns a business and lives in District 14, said she enjoys having a personal relationship with her councilperson.
"As a businessperson and as a resident here in District 14, in Charles Village and Harwood, it's really important to me to have someone who knows us well and who takes the time to see us and advocate for us, so I don't want to lose my council person," Muñoz said.
In comparison, Memphis, Tenn. has 13 councilmembers with a population of 619,000 residents. St. Louis, Mo. has 290,000 residents and 14 Alderman, which was reduced from a 28-member body in 2023.
According to the Baltimore Banner, since 1999, voters have rejected only one ballot question put before them.
Early voting is underway in Maryland and is open through Oct. 31. Election Day, Nov. 5, the polls open at 7 a.m. across the state.