Question P was a Baltimore City referendum issue on the November 5, 2002, General Election ballot in which voters overwhelmingly approved reducing the size of the Baltimore City Council from 18 council members to 14 members, each to be elected by a different local district.
These 18 members, plus one City Council President elected at-large made up the body's 19 seats, cut from 21 to 19 in 1967.
[3] According to Baltimore Sun reporter Laura Vozzella, "Critics accused [council members] of trying to sabotage the coalition plan and save their $48,000-a-year part-time jobs, since the two measures [...] likely would have canceled each other out if both passed.
"[1] In late September 2002, a Court of Appeals judge ruled in favor of CLUB's lawsuit and removed Question Q from the ballot because Shiela Dixon had violated the City's Open Meetings Act (Maryland Rule 15-505) by holding a closed-door committee meeting in August 2002 without giving public notice as required by law.
[1][3] Despite the disapproval of City Council President Sheila Dixon and Mayor Martin O'Malley, Question P passed with more than two thirds (67%) of the vote.