Baltimore County voters on Tuesday declared their support for expanding the County Council, shielding the inspector general from political interference and setting barriers to how long members can serve on the county’s influential planning board.

With nearly every precinct reporting, voters supported a ballot measure to expand the board by a 3-2 margin and one to protect the inspector general by a 4-1 margin. All other ballot measures drew at least 70 percent of the vote.

Approval of the charter amendment to expand the board from seven to nine members could change the ways the county operates, with the possibility of more members. diversity for the all-male, nearly white council and new political boundaries for the county’s more than 800,000 residents.

The board now includes only one person of color, Julian Jones, who is black. Only five women they have served on the board since the government created the body in 1956. The board has never included a representative from the Latino, Asian, Nepalese or Arab-American communities, which are all growing constituencies in the county.

With Question A approved, nine council seats will be up for election in the 2026 election. The council still has to complete the maps for the new districts, and the councilors have he promised a public trial for this. The measure also means Baltimore County taxpayers will pay $1.4 million more for the two new members, plus millions for office space, renovations and salary increases, and pension irregularities. Even so, those increases represent only a fraction of a percent of the county’s budget.

Question B, which establishes the Office of the Inspector General in the county charter, also passed easily. The measure came about because Jones and County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Jr. tried to curb the current inspector general’s power several years ago when his investigations turned up evidence of wrongdoing that ensnared a former county official .

After a public outcry over attempts to reduce the power of Inspector General Kelly Madigan, Olszewski assembled a commission to discuss the matter. It recommended coding the position in the chart, which is considered best practice in the industry. Madigan incentive voters to support the measure so they can have unfettered access to — sometimes privileged — information and conduct full investigations.

Question C, which would require that no member of Baltimore County Planning Board serve more than three mandates, originating from council members believing that certain council members took advantage of their positions to rezone properties that were not in their districts. Anyone can ask to have a property rezoned during the comprehensive process that takes place every four years, but council members typically control the process, and some planning board members have not checked with the council to make sure their requests they fit the general plan. for districts.

Council members appoint half of the council and the county executive appoints the other half. Olszewski’s representatives tended to favor development, and some had been on the board for several terms when he reappointed them. The board will now have to confirm all members, instead of just the president and vice president.

The other ballot initiatives were primarily about borrowing money. Question D would allow $5 million to be borrowed for waste disposal projects to help protect the environment modernization of landfills.

Question E would authorize the county community college to borrow up to $18.5 million to modernize and grow. Question F is for borrowing $55.4 million for public works projects including, but not limited to, streets and highways, bridges and storm drainage systems. Question G focuses on the $8 million loan for the creation and purchase of a park.

Question H would allow the county to borrow $331.1 million to construct, upgrade and purchase school buildings. Baltimore County has redrawn borders several times to host new students and reduce overcrowding, and the parents are balk about having to move away from schools where their children felt comfortable.

Voters also easily approved $6 million to keep farms in conservation easements and protect Baltimore County’s rural character and water supply (Question I); $4 million for streetscape improvements (Question J); $20 million for stormwater and waterway improvements (Question K); and $130.5 million for operational public buildings that include libraries, senior centers, police stations and jails.