Maryland county-by-county results 2020

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to allow the County Auditor to have access to all records and files pertaining to County business; to allow the County Auditor to conduct additional financial and performance audits or reviews of any office, department, or agency funded in whole or in part by County funds; and to allow the County Auditor to conduct investigations of an act or allegation of fraud, waste, or abuse in the obligation, expenditure, or use of County resources.

• For the Charter Amendment – 84.7%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 15.3%

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to require County Council confirmation of the County Executives appointments of the County Attorney, Chief of Police, and Fire Chief and to allow the County Council, on the affirmative vote of not less than five members, to prevent removal of a County Attorney appointed by the County Executive.

• For the Charter Amendment – 73.1%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 26.9%

Question C – Charter Amendment, Merit System – Exempt Positions

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to remove the limit of 1,500 hours per calendar year for hourly rate contractual employees in the exempt service under Section 802(a)(14) of the Charter.

• For the Charter Amendment – 63.1%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 36.9%

Question D – Charter Amendment, Centralized Purchasing – Competitive Bidding

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to permit the County Council to increase the minimum value of purchases and contracts requiring full competitive bidding to an amount not less than $25,000 and not greater than $100,000.

• For the Charter Amendment – 65.8%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 34.2%

Question E – Charter Amendment Merit System – Probationary Period – Extension of Probationary Period

To amend Section 806 of the Anne Arundel County Charter to modify the probationary period from six months to the time required to complete the departments entry-level training program plus 12 months for entry-level full-time classified sworn employees of the Police Department, Fire Department, Sheriffs Office, and Department of Detention Facilities, and to provide that a probationary period does not run while an employee is on paid or unpaid leave that exceeds 80 consecutive hours.

• For the Charter Amendment – 79.6%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 20.4%

Question F – Charter Amendment Executive Branch – Expanding the Limitation on Term of Temporary Appointees

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to expand the initial term for an acting Chief Administrative Officer or acting head of any office or department from 60 days to 120 days, and to allow the County Council to extend that term by up to two additional six month periods instead of the current four months.

• For the Charter Amendment – 59.1%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 40.9%

Question G – Charter Amendment, Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission

To amend the Anne Arundel County Charter to require the Anne Arundel County Human Relations Commission.

• For the Charter Amendment – 69.1%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 30.9%

Question A – Charter Amendment – Council Non-interference

This Charter Amendment would amend the Frederick County Charter to require the County Executive to provide any information that is requested by an individual County Council member, which is for the purpose of introducing and evaluating legislation or to engage in the review and monitoring of Government programs, activities and policy implementation.

• For the Charter Amendment – 85%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 15%

Question B – Charter Amendment – Borrowing Limitations

This Charter Amendment would amend the Frederick County Charter to reduce the percentage of assessable property the County can pledge for debt from 5% to 3% of assessable real property, and from 15% to 9% of assessable personal property.

• For the Charter Amendment – 76.5%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 23.5%

Question C – Charter Amendment – Council Member Vacancy

This Charter Amendment would amend the Frederick County Charter to provide that the County Council shall fill a vacancy on the Council by choosing one of three persons from a list submitted by the central committee of the same political party as the vacating member. If no list is submitted or the vacating member was not a member of a political party, the Council shall appoint a person it deems best qualified to hold office. If the Council fails to fill the vacancy within 45 days, the County Executive shall fill the vacancy by following the same procedure. All persons considered for appointment shall be presented to the public and shall be interviewed by either the Council or Executive, allowing for public comment, prior to appointment. If the vacancy occurs in the first year of the vacating member’s term, after a person is appointed to temporarily fill the vacancy, a special election will be held to elect and fill the vacancy for the balance of the term.

• For the Charter Amendment – 76.5%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 23.5%

Question D – Charter Amendment – County Executive Vacancy

This Charter Amendment would amend the Frederick County Charter to provide a process to fill a vacancy in the position of County Executive. The County Council shall fill a vacancy of the Executive by choosing one of three persons from a list submitted by the central committee of the same political party as the vacating Executive. If no list is submitted or the vacating Executive was not a member of a political party, the Council shall appoint a person it deems best qualified to hold office. If the Council fails to fill the vacancy within 45 days, the Council shall appoint the County’s Chief Administrative Officer. All persons considered for appointment shall be presented to the public and shall be interviewed, allowing for public comment, prior to appointment. If the vacancy occurs in the first year of the vacating Executive’s term, after a person is appointed to temporarily fill the vacancy, a special election will be held to elect and fill the vacancy for the balance of the term.

• For the Charter Amendment – 76.2%
• Against the Charter Amendment – 23.8%

Question A – Charter Amendment – Redistricting Dates

Changing the Howard County Charter to allow the County Council to set dates for drawing new Council district borders. After each official count of everyone who lives in the County, the Council would quickly form a redistricting commission and set dates for the commission to submit a plan for new Council district borders, and for the plan to become law if the Council does not adopt a different plan. The dates for these actions are now set by the County Charter, which uses an outdated State election schedule.

• For Council to Set Dates – 71.3%
• Against Council to Set Dates – 28.7%

Question B – Charter Amendment – Citizen Board Term

Changing the Howard County Charter to shorten the term a resident would serve as a member on most County boards from five years to three years.

• For Three-Year Term – 87.6%
• Against Three-Year Term – 12.4%

Question C – Charter Amendment – County Employment Discrimination

Changing the Howard County Charter to prohibit employment discrimination by Howard County based on a person’s disability, color, national origin, immigration status, age, occupation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family status, or personal appearance. The prohibition would no longer include the word sex and the County could still not make an employment decision based on a person’s political or religious opinions or associations or race.

• For New Discrimination Protections – 79%
• Against New Discrimination Protections – 21%

Michael Fryar – 39.4%
Rebecca Smondrowski (Incumbent) – 59.8%

Shebra Evans (Incumbent) – 66.2%
Steve Solomon – 33.2%

Suni Dasgupta – 45.8%
Lynne Harris – 53%

Question A – Charter Amendment by Act of County Council Property Tax Limit – Limit Tax Rate Increases

Amend Section 305 of the County Charter to prohibit the County Council from adopting a tax rate on real property that exceeds the tax rate on real property approved for the previous year, unless all current Councilmembers vote affirmatively for the increase. This amendment would replace the current property tax limit, which requires an affirmative vote of all current Councilmembers to levy a tax on real property that would produce total revenue that exceeds the total revenue produced by the tax on real property in the preceding fiscal year plus any increase in the Consumer Price Index. The current property tax limit exempts real property tax revenue derived from: (1) newly constructed property; (2) newly rezoned property; (3) certain property assessed differently under State law; (4) property that has undergone a change in use; and (5) property in a development tax district to provide funding for capital improvements.

• For – 62.4%
• Against – 37.6%

Question B – Charter Amendment by Petition – Property Tax Limit – Prohibit Override

Amend Section 305 of the County Charter to prohibit the County Council from levying an ad valorem tax on real property that would produce total revenue (not including property tax revenue from certain enumerated sources) that exceeds the total revenue produced by the tax on real property in the preceding fiscal year plus a percentage of the previous year’s real property tax revenues that equals any increase in the Consumer Price Index. Section 305 currently permits the County Council to exceed the limit on real property tax revenue only upon the affirmative vote of all current Councilmembers.

• For  – 41.6%
• Against – 58.4%

Question C – Charter Amendment by Act of County Council – County Council – Increase to 11 Councilmembers

“Amend the County Charter to:
–expand the County Council to consist of 11, rather than the current 9, Councilmembers;
–increase from 5 to 7 the number of Council districts; and
–elect 7 Councilmembers by district and 4 Councilmembers at large.”

• For – 61.5%
• Against – 38.5%

Question D – Charter Amendment by Petition – County Council – Alter Council Composition to 9 Districts

Amend Sections 102 and 103 of the County Charter to:
— divide the County into 9, rather than the current 5, Council districts;
— elect all Councilmembers by district, rather than the current 5 by district and 4 at large; and
— reduce from 5 to 1 the number of Councilmembers each voter can vote for

• For – 41.6%
• Against – 58.4%

Wytonja Curry (Incumbent) – 18.4%

Jared Michael McCarthy (Incumbent) – 13.8%

ShaRon M. Grayson Kelsey (Incumbent) – 18.4%

Cathy H. Serrette (Incumbent) – 16.4%

April T. Ademiluyi – 13.5%

Gladys Weatherspoon – 19.3%

Question A – Bond issue, public works and transportation facilities bonds

AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $178,150,000 to finance the design, construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, renovation, relocation, rehabilitation, or repair of, Public Works and Transportation Facilities (including roads and bridges, parking lots and maintenance facilities), including the acquisition and development of sites therefor, the architectural and engineering services incident thereto, and the acquisition and installation of necessary fixed permanent equipment therefor, as defined therein.

• For the referred law – 87.9%
• Against the referred law – 12.1%

Question B – Bond Issue – Library Facilities Bonds

AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $28,829,000 to finance the design, construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, renovation, relocation, rehabilitation or repair of Library Facilities, including the acquisition and development of sites therefor, the architectural and engineering services incident thereto, and the acquisition and installation of necessary fixed permanent equipment therefor, as defined therein.

• For the referred law – 86.7%
• Against the referred law – 13.3%

Question C – Bond Issue – Public Safety Facilities Bonds

AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $44,477,000 to finance the design, construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, renovation, relocation, rehabilitation, or repair of, Public Safety Facilities (including Fire Department Facilities), including the acquisition and development of sites therefor, the architectural and engineering services incident thereto, and the acquisition and installation of necessary fixed permanent equipment therefor, as defined therein.

• For the referred law – 87%
• Against the referred law – 13%

Question D – Bond Issue – County Buildings Bonds

AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $133,000,000 to finance the design, construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, renovation, relocation, rehabilitation or repair of County Buildings, including the acquisition and development of sites therefor, the architectural and engineering services incident thereto, and the acquisition and installation of necessary fixed permanent equipment therefor, as defined therein.

• For the referred law – 77.7%
• Against the referred law – 22.3%

Question E – Bond Issue – Community College Facilities Bonds

AN ACT enabling the County to borrow money and issue bonds in an amount not exceeding $121,714,000 to finance the design, construction, reconstruction, extension, acquisition, improvement, enlargement, alteration, renovation, relocation, rehabilitation or repair of Community College Facilities, including the acquisition and development of sites therefor, the architectural and engineering services incident thereto, and the acquisition and installation of necessary fixed permanent equipment therefor; as defined therein.

• For the referred law – 88.5%
• Against the referred law – 11.5%