The central Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. Photo: Bmzuckerman, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Unofficial returns from the Maryland State Board of Elections show Baltimore City voters approving all four bond questions on the Nov. 3 ballot, which together would authorize the city to borrow up to $280 million.
With all 295 election-day precincts reported, the unofficial counts on the State Board’s Baltimore City results page are: Question A, the $22 million Affordable Housing Loan, 130,881 for (84.26 percent) and 24,458 against; Question B, the $60 million School Loan, 133,194 for (86.60 percent) and 20,612 against; Question C, the $50 million Community and Economic Development Loan, 126,466 for (82.94 percent) and 26,011 against; and Question D, the $148 million Public Infrastructure Loan, 129,940 for (85.06 percent) and 22,820 against. The page is still marked unofficial.
The official ballot question text describes what each loan may be used for if the unofficial results are certified. Question A is for the Affordable Housing Program, including rental and homeownership developments and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Question B may be used for school buildings, athletic facilities, and community health and recreation facilities, and for equipment. Question C is for the city’s economic development program, including blight removal, neighborhood retail corridors, and loans or grants to businesses and homeownership. Question D is for public infrastructure owned or controlled by the city, including buildings used by the city, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and public parks, as well as streets, utilities and information technology.
The official language says a vote for each question allows the city to borrow that money, and a vote against means the city is not allowed to borrow it. None of the four unofficial totals has been certified.
