Baltimore City voters went to the polls with 8 questions on the local ballot. Much attention centered around two measures that would have changed the size of the City Council and another that redefines the approved uses for current public park space in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

Voters in Baltimore City had a number of questions to weigh in on this election cycle. Of those, one had the potential to impact the local government structure if approved. Question H would have reduced the number of Baltimore City Council Districts from 14 to 8. The measure did not pass with 62 percent of voters against the change and 38 in support.

Question H reads:

Question H is for the purpose of amending Art. III, Sections 2 and 7 of the Charter to reduce the number of Baltimore City Council districts from 14 to 8. If the number of City Council districts is modified by an approved Charter amendment, the Mayor shall prepare a plan for Council redistricting based on the most recent census. The Mayor shall present the plan to the City Council not later than the first day of February of the first municipal election year following the approval of the Charter amendment.

Another major question on the Baltimore City ballot was a provision that would allow the development of multi-family residential units and mixed use projects in an area previously dedicated for public park uses. This change was posed by Question F, and voters approved the measure with 60 percent of respondents supporting the change. Prior to the election the inclusion of this question on the November ballot was debated by the Maryland Supreme Court, who ultimately approved it to move forward after a lower court had found it unconstitutional.

Question F reads:

Question F is for the purpose of amending the provision dedicating for public park uses the portion of the city that lies along the Northwest and South Shores of the Inner Harbor, south of Pratt Street to the water’s edge, east of Light Street to the water’s edge, and north of the highway to the water’s edge, from the World Trade Center around the shoreline of the Inner Harbor including Rash Field with a maximum of 4.5 acres north of an easterly extension of the south side of Conway Street plus access thereto to be used for eating places, commercial uses, multifamily residential development and off-street parking with the areas used for multifamily dwellings and off-street parking as excluded from the  area dedicated as a public park or for public benefit.

MACo’s election coverage and analysis rely on unofficial results published by the Maryland State Board of Elections. Official results will follow after a full accounting of pending votes. MACo advises readers that any close unofficial results are subject to realignment in the days ahead.