Question P
Encyclopedia
Question P was a 2002 local referendum
issue which modified the Baltimore City Council
.
, United States
, in November 2002. Simply stated, the ballot initiative proposed "that the City Council
consists of 14 members, each to be elected from a different district, and a Council President, to be elected Citywide." Baltimore had 18 council members, thus, the question would have reduced the size of local government.
The effort to gather signatures to put Question P on the ballot, in the first place, was spearheaded by a grassroots
political action coalition that included Community and Labor United for Baltimore (CLUB), the Baltimore Green Party, the Baltimore office of ACORN
and state delegates Curt Anderson
and Jill P. Carter
. No other elected officials supported the measure. Prior to the vote on question P, the Baltimore City Council attempted a last ditch, back room maneuver to confuse voters and derail Question P: Question Q. Question Q would have also restructured the City Council; but question Q was struck down by the courts as not being in compliance with the City's open meeting laws
. Question P eventually passed with 67 percent of the vote, despite the disapproval of City Council President Sheila Dixon
and Mayor Martin O'Malley
.
The affirmation of Question P shrank and reshaped the Baltimore City Council from 6 three-member districts to 14 single-member districts or from 18 members to 14 members. The council president continued to be elected at-large. The changes were meant to make it easier for less-established candidates to run and win; however, none did in the 2004 election, the first held under the new arrangements. Several incumbent council members did lose their seats, since fewer seats were available; Mary Pat Clarke
, the only non-incumbent to win a seat, was a well-established Baltimore political figure who had served as the president of the city council and had been a candidate for mayor in 1995.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
issue which modified the Baltimore City Council
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...
.
Description
Question P was approved by the voters of Baltimore, MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in November 2002. Simply stated, the ballot initiative proposed "that the City Council
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...
consists of 14 members, each to be elected from a different district, and a Council President, to be elected Citywide." Baltimore had 18 council members, thus, the question would have reduced the size of local government.
The effort to gather signatures to put Question P on the ballot, in the first place, was spearheaded by a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
political action coalition that included Community and Labor United for Baltimore (CLUB), the Baltimore Green Party, the Baltimore office of ACORN
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
and state delegates Curt Anderson
Curt Anderson
Curtis Stovall Anderson is an American politician, lawyer and former broadcast journalist. Anderson was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1983, is the chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation, and past chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. After serving 12...
and Jill P. Carter
Jill P. Carter
Jill P. Carter is an American politician who represents Maryland's 41st legislative district of Baltimore City in the Maryland House of Delegates. She was elected to the Maryland legislature after defeating four incumbents in the Democratic primary that September...
. No other elected officials supported the measure. Prior to the vote on question P, the Baltimore City Council attempted a last ditch, back room maneuver to confuse voters and derail Question P: Question Q. Question Q would have also restructured the City Council; but question Q was struck down by the courts as not being in compliance with the City's open meeting laws
Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
. Question P eventually passed with 67 percent of the vote, despite the disapproval of City Council President Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...
and Mayor Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
.
The affirmation of Question P shrank and reshaped the Baltimore City Council from 6 three-member districts to 14 single-member districts or from 18 members to 14 members. The council president continued to be elected at-large. The changes were meant to make it easier for less-established candidates to run and win; however, none did in the 2004 election, the first held under the new arrangements. Several incumbent council members did lose their seats, since fewer seats were available; Mary Pat Clarke
Mary Pat Clarke
Mary Pat Clarke is an American politician who represents the district 14 in the Baltimore City Council. She is arguably the most recognized person in Baltimore, Maryland politics having served as either council president or council member for 24 out of the last 35 years as of 2010...
, the only non-incumbent to win a seat, was a well-established Baltimore political figure who had served as the president of the city council and had been a candidate for mayor in 1995.