BALTIMORE — The State Board of Elections announced Tuesday that it voted unanimously to seek an appeal of the circuit court regarding Question F.
Question F being on the ballot would have left the Harborplace redevelopment in the voters hands, but a judge's ruling Monday does not give them a decision in the matter.
"Today, SBE voted unanimously to seek an appeal of the circuit court decision effecting Baltimore City ballot question F," said Jared DeMarinis, the state administrator of elections in Maryland.
RELATED: State weighing next steps after judge rules on Ballot Question F
The question reads:
"Question F is for the purpose of amending the provision dedicating public park uses the portion of the city that lies along the Northwest and South Shores of the Inner Harbor, south of Pratt Street to the water's edge, from the World Trade Center around the shoreline of the Inner Harbor including Rash Field with a maximum of 4.5 acres north of an easterly extension of the south side of Conway Street plus access thereto to be used for eating places, commercial uses, multi-family residential development and off-street parking as excluded from the area dedicated as a public park or for public benefit."
On Monday, Thiru Virnarajah, a former mayoral candidate celebrated the judge's decision.
"It is a legal nullity," Vignarajah told reporters. "It doesn't matter what happens with the vote, it will not become law. That is what the judge ruled today. That's a big deal."
The challenge to Question F was originally brought to the courtearlier this month.
Following the judge's ruling, WMAR reached out to the mayor's office for comment:
“This legal challenge is a spurious attempt by opponents of the project to derail it by any means necessary. We’re confident the state will appeal and win.”
If the SBE moves with its plans to appeal, the case would make its way to the Maryland Supreme Court, the state's highest court.
