By Doni Glover, Publisher
(RANDALLSTOWN – July 14, 2024) – Historically, Baltimore City’s Black residents were restricted by a 1910 ordinance from living in certain areas. This segregation significantly set the city back, but the Civil Rights era fought against such laws, leading to desegregation. Consequently, many Black residents moved to Northwest Baltimore County, including Woodlawn, Randallstown, Owings Mills, and Pikesville, seeking better living conditions and amenities.
Ken Oliver became the first Black Baltimore County Councilman in 2002, serving until 2014, and was succeeded by Julian Jones, who became the first Black Council Chair. Despite these strides, the fight for justice continues, led by advocates like Linda Walker-Dorsey.
Dorsey is spearheading the 4MORE4BALTIMORE COUNTY initiative, aiming to increase the number of County Council seats from seven to eleven. This would reduce district sizes from 125,000 to 78,000 residents, thereby increasing opportunities for minority representation and participation in local governance.
The VOTE4MORE! movement, supported by various community groups, seeks to place a referendum on the 2024 General Election ballot to amend the County Charter. This amendment would take effect in 2026, expanding the council and ensuring more inclusive representation, reflecting the county’s diverse population of 856,000 residents. Walker-Dorsey has until July 29th to submit 10,000 legitimate signatures.
County Council
In 1955, Baltimore County had roughly 350,000 residents. There are about 856,000 residents today, yet the county still has the same number of districts it did back then. Interestingly, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County voted to increase their districts several years ago.
According to Linda Dorsey-Walker, Baltimore County has approximately 125,000 people in each of its 7 districts, making them the largest council districts in the country. Former state Senator Delores Kelley remarked, “I think what it is – is an attempt to get more Blacks since Julian Jones is the only one we’ve got [on the Baltimore County Council].” She added, “And the other six are white. The council is not representative of the county’s makeup at all. I think that’s the problem.” Baltimore County is about 29% Black.
When asked if the effort to increase the number of county council districts is a good thing, Kelley replied, “I think so.” Kenny Brown, a political operative and publisher of the Northwest Voice Newspaper, said he also favors increasing the number of districts by four. Brown said that the state representatives from that part of the county also support the initiative.
Last week, the Baltimore County Council passed Bill 47-24, placing a proposed amendment on the November ballot to expand the council from seven to nine members. Hidden within this amendment is a provision that would classify council membership as a full-time position for compensation purposes, potentially leading to a significant increase in pension benefits for incumbents.
If the amendment is approved, future council salaries could rise from $69,000 to $100,000, resulting in a 45% pension increase for current members, even if they retire before the salary increase takes effect in 2026. Six of the seven current members would benefit from this windfall. For example, Councilman David Marks’ pension would increase by $21,700 to $70,000 annually, translating to a lifetime value of approximately $650,000.
David Plymyer argues that this move was facilitated through legislative logrolling, combining the more popular council expansion with the less popular salary and pension boosts into a single bill. This strategy ensures that a vote for expansion in November will also approve the salary increase. Critics argue that this maneuver, motivated by greed, was intended to slip through significant financial benefits for council members without adequate public scrutiny or discussion of its actuarial impact on the county’s pension plan.
Lia Russell wrote in the Baltimore Sun on June 27th that Baltimore County Council Chair Izzy Patoka has introduced legislation to expand the council by adding two new members, increasing it from seven to nine members. If approved by voters in November, this proposal would take effect in the 2026 election cycle. The proposal’s success depends on a fragile coalition, requiring the support of five council members.
The expansion aims to better represent Baltimore County’s diverse population, as each current council member represents about 123,000 residents. Nearly 50% of the county’s residents are of color, but the council currently has only one member of color and no women. Past efforts to expand the council failed in 1978, 2001, and 2022.
Patoka’s proposed map would add districts on the eastern and western sides of the county, potentially creating another majority-Black district. However, concerns have been raised about the secrecy of the process and the potential dilution of Black voting power. Some council members and advocates prefer adding four new districts instead of two.
Council members’ opinions on the bill are mixed. While some support the idea, others are undecided or oppose it due to concerns about political diversity and potential gerrymandering. The proposal reflects ongoing discussions about how to ensure adequate representation and participation in Baltimore County’s governance.
WMAR TV 2 reported on July 1 that the Baltimore County Council voted to expand from seven to nine seats, a change that will be put to voters on the November ballot. Since 1956, the council has had seven seats, predominantly occupied by white men. However, with the county’s population now nearing 850,000, with half comprising people of color, there is a push for greater representation. The county is 30% Black and has a growing immigrant population.
The expansion proposal, recommended by the Baltimore County Structure Review Workgroup, aims to better reflect the county’s demographics and potentially increase minority representation. Currently, Julian Jones is the only minority council member. The workgroup also suggested making the council positions full-time roles.
The bill includes a redistricting map for the nine districts, though it faced opposition due to concerns about insufficient community input. An amendment was added to allow public input on district boundaries. Councilman Young and Councilman Kach opposed the maps, with Kach proposing the amendment for public involvement. If approved, the new council structure will take effect in 2026, hoping to improve diversity and reduce the number of constituents each council member represents.
The Baltimore County Council voted to advance a measure to add two new members, aiming to better represent the county’s diverse population. The council, currently all-male and nearly all-white, would increase from seven to nine members if voters approve the measure in November. This change, the first major alteration in decades, reflects the county’s demographic evolution, with people of color now making up half of its population.
The vote, held on a Monday night, passed 5-1, with Councilman Pat Young voting against it due to concerns about drawing new political maps. Julian Jones, the council’s only Black member, was absent. County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. supported the decision but echoed concerns about the map-drawing process. The proposed maps aim to create districts with higher Black populations, potentially increasing minority representation.
The expansion is expected to cost $1.4 million annually and $12.2 million in one-time capital improvements, and council positions would become full-time roles. The Baltimore County Structure Review Workgroup recommended the measure, which suggested adding two new seats despite some members advocating for four. The decision faced opposition from some council members concerned about losing political power and public input in the map-drawing process.
Councilman Israel “Izzy” Patoka, who led the effort, emphasized the need for compromise to achieve the expansion. The proposal now moves to a public vote, with the potential for a more diverse and representative council starting in 2026.
In an exclusive interview, Jones told BMORENews.com, “I was on an airplane and despite the promises of the airline and all my efforts, I could not log on [to vote].” He continued, “My absence is a no vote. The only thing that matters is a positive vote. The big issue is not where was I but how Izzy Patoka sold the Democratic Party and all the Democrats in Baltimore County down the river by passing a bill with a map that was prepared by the Republicans to benefit the Republicans for years and elections to come. He betrayed the Democrats of Baltimore County to secure the Republican vote to pass the bill. That’s the story. I have consistently railed against that map. There should not have even been a map at all, but the map was necessary for the Republicans to vote. This was betrayal to the Democrats of Baltimore County. He allowed them to produce such a map and bought it forward.”
Jones and Patoka both want to become County Executive.