Baltimore County voters face $392 million debt and new leadership on Tuesday

Baltimore County residents will cast ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to select a new county executive and an expanded nine-member County Council. The election includes 14 ballot questions that authorize nearly $392 million in borrowing. These measures cover school construction, public buildings, and road repairs. The outcome will shift the county’s top leadership regardless of which candidates win.

The executive race pits Democratic Councilman Julian Jones against Republican businessman Patrick Dyer. If Jones wins, he becomes the county’s first Black county executive. Dyer has focused his campaign on safety in Towson. The winner will replace County Executive Kathy Klausmeier. Voters will also elect a new state’s attorney, sheriff, school board members, and state legislators.

The County Council will grow from seven to nine members. At least six of these seats are expected to go to new faces. Advocates support the expansion to increase diversity on a body that is currently all male. Sarah David, a Democrat, is unopposed for state’s attorney after defeating Scott Shellenberger in the primary. This race marks the county’s first new top prosecutor in 20 years.

Question C changes how the county selects its inspector general. Currently, the executive nominates the candidate and the council confirms the pick. The amendment would shift this power to a seven-member board. It would also require the inspector general to live in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area. The proposal follows a dispute in 2025 involving then-Inspector General Kelly Madigan. The county has had no inspector general since January. Councilman Izzy Patoka proposed the change to remove politics from the selection process.

Questions A and B address land use and agriculture. Question A changes the rules for moving the Urban-Rural Demarcation Line. A simple majority currently controls this boundary, which separates developed areas from rural land. The amendment would require six of nine votes to move it. Councilman David Marks proposed the measure, which the council approved 5-2. Julian Jones voted no, arguing that residents inside the line subsidize rural areas. Council Chairman Mike Ertel told WYPR that it is good for the public to reexamine what the line is about.

Question B would create a stand-alone Department of Agriculture. Former Councilman Wade Kach pushed for this idea. County officials argue it is unnecessary because an agriculture division already exists within the Department of Economic Development. They estimate a new department would cost $500,000 a year to start. Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks backed the proposal. Federal data from 2022 lists 783 farms in the county and a $93 million agriculture business.

The nine bond questions authorize $391.75 million in borrowing. Question J leads the list with $200 million for school construction. Question N allocates $81.75 million for public buildings, including police and fire stations, libraries, and senior centers. Question H provides $54.38 million for roads, bridges, storm drains, and sewers. The ballot text authorizes borrowing for these broad categories without listing individual projects.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 8 p.m. or placed in a drop box by then. Nearly 79,000 county residents voted early. This number is part of a statewide total of more than 600,000 early votes. City voters face a separate set of bond questions totaling $280 million.