Baltimore Council launches charter review committee, aims to ready amendments for 2026 ballot
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Summary
The Baltimore City Council—harter Review Special Committee held its first hearing to introduce members and agency partners, outline dozens of proposed charter changes across structural, procedural and financial categories, and set an internal timeline targeting priority amendments for the November 2026 ballot.
The Baltimore City Council—harter Review Special Committee convened its first public hearing, with Chair Ryan Dorsey saying the panel will "scrub every section of the charter" and hold listening sessions across the city as it develops proposed amendments.
The committee includes Chair Ryan Dorsey (Council District 3), Vice Chair John Bullock (9th District), Councilman Jermaine Jones (12th District), Councilwoman Odette Ramos (14th District) and Council President Zeke Cohen. Staff and agency representatives present included Ethan Navar (staff), Ben Gouthorn (Department of Legislative Reference), Jeff Hocksteller (Law Department), Nina Thumbless (Mayor's Office of Government Relations) and Casey Kelleher (Comptroller's Office). The committee asked the public to submit ideas by email to charter.review.committee@baltimorecity.gov.
Dorsey framed the review as an effort to modernize the "people's document," reduce overly prescriptive charter language and make governance more efficient. He said the committee will prioritize proposals by (1) whether they appear agreeable to council and administration, (2) immediacy for placement on the 2026 ballot versus a later cycle, and (3) the drafting capacity of the Department of Legislative Reference (DLR).
Committee members and agency representatives outlined a broad list of potential topics, grouped into three categories: structural (for example, the composition of boards), procedural (timing of vetoes, redistricting process), and financial (budget timing, audit schedules, procurement rules). Chair Dorsey said the committee will seek to complete "its first series of work before May 2026" so that legislation can be submitted for the November 2026 ballot; committee counsel and staff later clarified May 1 as the practical internal target to allow for state-timed transmission to the Board of Elections.
Multiple speakers emphasized that many proposed charter changes could trigger downstream changes to the city code, regulations and Board of Estimates procedures, and that DLR and the law department will need to identify those dependencies. The committee scheduled a follow-up hearing for Nov. 19 and indicated some future meetings will be held in an alternate chamber to facilitate more conversational public sessions.
The hearing was introductory; no motions or votes were taken.
