Posted on 10/30/24
| News Source: FOX45
Baltimore, MD - Oct. 30, 2024 - With election day just one week away, there's turmoil brewing on the ballot in Baltimore City
"It seems like this is the only one that a lot of our elected officials didn’t want on the ballot," said Jovani Patterson.
Question H is leaving it up to voters to decide whether or not to shrink the city council from 14 members to 8.
The "Stop Sinclair Ballot Committee", formed by Mayor Brandon Scott's chief of staff and former campaign manager, Marvin James, has raised more than $150,000.
It aims to keep the council's current size and is largely funded by city council members including Zeke Cohen, Sharon Green Middleton, Danielle McCray, and even the mayor himself.
“They’re actually misleading the public using the name Sinclair, because you know it was David Smith," said Patterson.
David Smith Executive Chairman of Sinclair Broadcasting Incorporated is financing the measure, but he’s doing so as a private citizen with his own money.
Sinclair has now sent two cease-and-desist letters to the “Stop Sinclair Ballott Committee" for what they call false and defamatory statements suggesting Sinclair is involved in the ballot initiative.
The latest letter says "It is therefore evident that your client is intent on spreading these false and defamatory statements extensively throughout the Baltimore community."
They're referencing signage with Sinclair's name on it throughout Baltimore.
Former city council candidate Jovanni Patterson says it's misinformation to voters and he's calling on the mayor to sit down and address it.
“They’d rather just have the people vote on the things that they choose which if you really about it, that’s more of a dictatorship than it is a government," said Patterson.