What does a YES vote on Baltimore City Question F mean?

Baltimore City would shorten veto and override timelines, have the Mayor instead of the Board of Estimates prepare the budget by April 30, remove the $1 million contingent fund cap, and move many Board of Estimates duties to the Mayor, Finance or Planning, with effective dates in 2026 and 2028.

What does a NO vote on Baltimore City Question F mean?

The current charter rules on legislation, the budget and the Board of Estimates would stay in place.

How many votes does Baltimore City Question F need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Baltimore City Question F?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Baltimore City Question F — Charter Amendment: Legislation, Budget, and Board of Estimates

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026

What it does: Question F amends the City Charter's legislative process, the annual budget process, and the role of the Board of Estimates. It shortens the amount of time in which the Mayor can veto legislation passed by the City Council and the amount of time the City Council has to override the Mayor's veto. The Amendment also eliminates the preliminary budget hearing process and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the responsibility to prepare and submit the proposed budget before April 30 each year. The City Council must then adopt the budget at least eight days before the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1, and any veto and veto override process must be completed by then. The Amendment removes the current $1 million dollar cap on the amount that may be used as a contingent fund for emergencies or other unexpected needs. It allows the Finance Director and the Planning Commission to make new recommendations about the proposed budget after it is submitted to the City Council and allows the City Council to add amounts based on those recommendations before final passage. The Amendment also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director or the Planning Commission the authority to make supplemental appropriation recommendations outside of the annual budget process. The Amendment transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Department the responsibility to estimate revenues and formulate the annual rates for all property taxes, and transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Finance Director the responsibility to estimate any surpluses. It also transfers from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor the authority to increase or decrease the salaries of municipal officers in preparing the budget. The Amendment removes from the Charter a number of other duties assigned to the Board of Estimates, including formulating and executing the fiscal policy of the City, advertising for contracts, establishing the process for professional services contracts and for bidder prequalification, approving emergency contracts, fixing salary and wage scales of employees, approving collective bargaining agreements, determining bonds of City officials, establishing procedures for paying or releasing claims against or claims held by the City, fixing the salary of officials in the State's Attorney's Office, and approving expenditures for new improvements. These roles could be given to other agencies or departments by City ordinance. Voting for this amendment brings about the changes described above, with the following effective dates: November 7, 2028, for Charter sections that are removed, unless an ordinance or regulation governing that topic is adopted sooner; December 5, 2028, for changes to approving and vetoing legislation; and December 3, 2026, for all other changes. Voting against the amendment leaves the current Charter language governing legislation, budget, and the Board of Estimates in place.
A YES vote means: Baltimore City would shorten veto and override timelines, have the Mayor instead of the Board of Estimates prepare the budget by April 30, remove the $1 million contingent fund cap, and move many Board of Estimates duties to the Mayor, Finance or Planning, with effective dates in 2026 and 2028.
A NO vote means: The current charter rules on legislation, the budget and the Board of Estimates would stay in place.
Needed to pass: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean: Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

The Baltimore City Council proposed this charter amendment by Resolution 26-04, according to the amendment text posted by the Maryland State Board of Elections.

According to the ballot summary, the amendment would shorten the Mayor's time to veto legislation and the Council's time to override. It would also end the preliminary budget hearing process and move the job of preparing and submitting the proposed budget from the Board of Estimates to the Mayor.

Under the amendment text, the Mayor would submit the proposed Ordinance of Estimates to the City Council no later than April 30 each year.

Put on the ballot by Baltimore City Council (Resolution 26-04).

From official source.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Baltimore City Question F mean?: Baltimore City would shorten veto and override timelines, have the Mayor instead of the Board of Estimates prepare the budget by April 30, remove the $1 million contingent fund cap, and move many Board of Estimates duties to the Mayor, Finance or Planning, with effective dates in 2026 and 2028.
What does a NO vote on Baltimore City Question F mean?: The current charter rules on legislation, the budget and the Board of Estimates would stay in place.
How many votes does Baltimore City Question F need to pass?: A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Baltimore City Question F?: SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?: The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Baltimore City ballot.

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