The Supreme Court of Maryland shut down two ballot proposals in Baltimore that would’ve offered tax reductions and payouts to new parents.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Maryland’s highest court ruled Thursday that the two proposed ballot questions violated the state’s constitution. The state Supreme Court reviewed the two cases after separate Baltimore Circuit Court judges found that each question should not be included on the ballots for city voters in the upcoming fall election.
The high court agreed with the judges and determined that the ballot questions infringed upon powers reserved for legislative bodies such as the Baltimore City Council. The ruling was issued on an expedited basis due to the Maryland State Board of Elections, which is scheduled to begin printing ballots for the November election on Sept. 6.
The court’s ruling came one
day after it heard arguments from Renew Baltimore, the organization supporting the tax proposal, and the Maryland Child Alliance, which sponsored the proposed payments to parents, commonly called the Baby Bonus. Renew Baltimore, a coalition of economists and former city officials, gathered over 23,000 signatures in support of its proposal to reduce the city’s property tax rate nearly in half over seven years, from 2.248% to 1.2%.In July, the Baltimore City Board of Elections informed the group that the measure would be removed from the ballot, stating that only the mayor and City Council have the authority to set the property tax rate. In its order on Aug. 29, the Supreme Court ruled that the proposed ballot measure violates a provision of Maryland property tax law, which designates it as the exclusive responsibility of a county’s “governing body” to set the property tax rate each year.
“The circuit court correctly determined that the proposed charter amendment impermissibly sets the property tax rate … and, therefore, cannot be presented on the November 2024 general election ballot,” the order states.
Leaders of Renew Baltimore issued a statement critiquing the court’s ruling, accusing the courts of denying citizens the right to “fair and equitable property taxes.”
“It is unfortunate that the Court decided to ignore the demands of the tens of thousands of residents who have called for responsible property tax reform, denying them the opportunity to control their financial future and improve the prospects of the City they love,” Ben Frederick and Matthew Wyskiel wrote.
Judges also listened to arguments for and against the Baby Bonus, which proposed paying city parents $1,000 upon the
birth of a new child. Sponsored by a coalition of city teachers, the measure was designed to help alleviate childhood poverty. However, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the proposed Baby Bonus ballot measure violated a section of the state constitution that grants county legislative bodies “law-making power.”“The circuit court correctly determined that the Baby Bonus Amendment violates … the Constitution of Maryland because it is not proper ‘charter material,’” the order read. “Accordingly, it cannot be presented on the November 2024 general election ballot.”
Organizers of the Baby Bonus initiative expressed how “deeply disappointed” they were with the Supreme Court’s ruling, stating that the decision “denies Baltimore voters the chance to decide on a policy that could have supported families welcoming new children.”
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Mayor’s office agreed with the court, saying the “decision was the right one.”
“While we’ve said from the beginning that we align with the goal of providing more Baltimore residents with access to guaranteed income, this proposal was not legally sound and should not have been on the ballot,” Mayor Brandon Scott’s office said. “We’re grateful the Maryland Supreme Court agreed. It is our sincere hope that everyone supportive of this effort joins us in advocating for more guaranteed income programs, particularly at the national level.”
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