City of Baltimore - File #: 15-0471

• File #: 15-0471
• Version: 0
• Name: Charter Amendment - Multi-Member City Council Districts
• Type: Mayor and City Council Res.
• Status: Failed
• File created: 1/12/2015
• In control: City Council
• Final action: 4/18/2016
• Title: Charter Amendment - Multi-Member City Council Districts FOR the purpose of amending the City Charter of Baltimore City to reduce the number of Councilmembers and create multi-member City Council districts; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection.
• Sponsors: Rochelle Spector, Bill Henry
• Indexes: Charter Amendment, City Council, Districts, Multi-Member

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
4/18/2016	0	City Council	Failed	Fail
4/7/2016	0	City Council	3rd Reader, for final passage
4/7/2016	0	Judiciary and Legislative Investigations	Recommended Favorably with Amendment
3/29/2016	0	Judiciary and Legislative Investigations	Recommended Favorably with Amendment	Pass
2/22/2016	0	Judiciary and Legislative Investigations	Scheduled for a Public Hearing
1/15/2015	0	The City Council	Referred for a Report
1/12/2015	0	City Council	Introduced
1/12/2015	0	City Council	Assigned

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS indicate matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.

* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*

CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL
(Charter Amendment)

Introduced by: Councilmember Spector
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED

A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL concerning
title
Charter Amendment - Multi-Member City Council Districts
FOR the purpose of amending the City Charter of Baltimore City to reduce the number of Councilmembers and create multi-member City Council districts; and submitting this amendment to the qualified voters of the City for adoption or rejection.
body
BY proposing to amend
Article III - City Council
Section(s) 2(b)
Baltimore City Charter
(1996 Edition)

Recitals

WHEREAS, Baltimore City traditionally has been represented by City Councilmembers from multi-member districts.

WHEREAS, Baltimore changed from the traditional multi-member districts to single member districts in 2004.

WHEREAS, A decade’s worth of experience with the single-member City Council districts has now shown the benefits and costs of both types of districts.

WHEREAS, Single-member districts have failed to deliver the more competitive election races that their advocates believed they would bring.

WHEREAS, Instead, single-member districts have left entire swaths of the City unrepresented by any Councilmember for long stretches due to the retirement or incapacity of individual Councilmembers.

WHEREAS, Single-member districts have made it more difficult for constituent services and community improvements needing Co...