Baltimore County Ballot Questions 2022, What Do They Mean?

TOWSON - Baltimore County has asked voters to decide on 11 ballot questions this November. ballot questions can frequently be confusing and sometimes seem inconsequential, but they allow voters to decide directly on county issues.

This guide breaks down the 11 ballot questions, with their exact wording and what they mean for Baltimore County residents.

Question A: Charter Amendment County Charter – County Council - Qualifications

• “Section 202 of the Baltimore County Charter is amended to require that, in addition to the requirements of residence as provided in Section 201(a) of the Charter, the members of the county council shall be qualified voters of Baltimore County and not less than twenty-one years of age at the time of their election.”

Question A is reasonably straightforward. The Baltimore County Charter currently requires that any County Council member meet the same qualifications as a Maryland State Senator. The Maryland State Constitution states that any senator must:

• Be a citizen of the State of Maryland
• have resided in Maryland for at least one year next preceding the election date
• Have lived in the district they wish to represent for at least six months before the election date

Voting Yes on Question A would add an additional requirement that any member of the Baltimore County Council be at least 21 years old and an eligible voter in Baltimore County.

Question B: Charter Amendment To The County Charter Department Of Public Works And Transportation Director Qualifications

• “Section 525 of the Baltimore County Charter is amended to: alter the name of the Department of Public Works and, provide that the Director shall be a professional engineer registered under the laws of this state with at least ten years of relevant supervisory experience in engineering works, or shall be qualified with at least ten years of supervisory experience in infrastructure planning and construction, or transportation engineering and management.”

Question B seeks to expand the pool of qualified candidates for director of the Department of Public Works. The current required qualifications are:

“​​The department of public works shall be administered by the director of public works who shall be a professional engineer registered under the laws of this state and shall have had responsible charge of engineering works over a period of at least ten years prior to his appointment.”

Voting yes on Question B would allow the appointment of a director who is “qualified with at least ten years of supervisory experience in infrastructure planning and construction, or transportation engineering and management.”

The following nine questions ask voters whether Baltimore County should borrow money for various projects. The Baltimore County Charter requires that “all questions relating to the issuance of bonds or evidences of indebtedness” be placed on the ballot.

These questions are arranged by the amount Baltimore County is asking to borrow.

Question J: County Ordinance School Borrowing

• "AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $200,000,000 for public school buildings, buildings for school purposes, buildings to support school operations and site projects, including but not limited to acquisition, construction, reconstruction, improvement, extension, alteration, repair, maintenance, conversion and modernization of public school buildings and sites, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 39-22)"

Voting yes on Question J would allow Baltimore County to borrow $200 million to construct, acquire, and maintain public school buildings.

Question H: County Ordinance Public Works Borrowing

• "AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $57,320,000 for public works purposes, for the class of projects which includes, among other things, streets and highways, bridges and storm drainage systems, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 37-22)"

Voting yes on Question H would allow Baltimore County to borrow $57.32 million for public works projects such as road, bridge, and storm drain maintenance.

Question F: County Ordinance Operational Buildings Borrowing

• "AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $27,050,000 for public operational buildings including, but not limited to, general, health, police, fire, recreation, libraries, senior centers and detention buildings or facilities and necessary or desirable equipment, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 35-22)"

Voting yes on Question F would allow Baltimore County to borrow $27.05 million for the construction, renovation, and operational costs of public buildings such as police stations, fire departments, libraries, and detention facilities.

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, which include but are 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, engineering and other services incident thereto, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 40-22)"

Voting yes on Question K would allow Baltimore County to borrow $20 million for shoreline stabilization, shore erosion control, wetland restoration, and other related projects.

Question D: 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 the construction, improvement, maintenance, and modernization of buildings and other improvements for the community colleges, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 33-22)"

Voting yes on Question D would allow Baltimore County to borrow $18.5 million for the construction, improvement, maintenance, and modernization of Baltimore County community colleges.

Question I: 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 the construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, closing, and capping, repair or modernization of county refuse disposal facilities, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 38-22)"

Voting yes on Question I would allow Baltimore County to borrow $5 million for waste disposal projects.

Question C: County Ordinance Agricultural and Rural Land Preservation Borrowing

• "AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $5,000,000 for agricultural and rural land preservation projects, including but not limited to the purchase of land, development rights and 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. (Bill 32-22)"

Voting yes on question C would allow Baltimore County to borrow $5 million for agricultural and rural land preservation projects.

Question E: 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, and sidewalk and pedestrian system improvements, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 34-22)"

Voting yes on Question E would allow Baltimore County to borrow $4 million for community improvement projects.

Question G: County Ordinance Parks, Preservation, And Greenways Borrowing

• "AN ORDINANCE to authorize and empower Baltimore County, Maryland to borrow $2,000,000 for parks, preservation and greenways projects, including but not limited to the purchase or other acquisition of playgrounds, parks, community centers, recreational facilities, and preservation and greenways projects including the cost of construction, improvement, alteration, repair, maintenance and equipping of all public parks, playgrounds, community centers, recreational facilities, preservation and greenways projects, to be undertaken pursuant to Sections 705(a) and 718 of the Baltimore County Charter. (Bill 36-22)"

Voting yes on Question G would allow Baltimore County to borrow $2 million for park projects.