Baltimore County voters Tuesday gave the green light to expanding the County Council from seven to nine seats.

It will be in place for the 2026 election.

“Baltimore County is moving out of 1956,” said Baltimore County Council Chairman Izzy Patoka.

The size of the County Council has not changed since the charter was created that year.

Supporters of expansion believe it will open the door for women and people of color to win seats on the council, which currently is all male with just one Black member.

Opponents countered adding two seats is costly and unnecessary.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski has long supported council expansion

“Our county has grown,” Olszewski said. “We are more diverse. Our council has not kept pace with that.”

Council expansion, which was approved by 60% of the voters, previously got knotted up in debates over how many seats should be added and a proposed district map for a nine-seat council that opponents said is illegal.

Patoka said on November 18 he will introduce a resolution to create a redistricting commission to consider making changes to that map.

“We need to have that map in place by October 1 of 2025,” Patoka said.

In a statement, Republican Councilman David Marks said, “Voters supported a historic change to the council and redistricting reform, and now we need to ensure a fair, bipartisan map.”

Marks and the other Republican members of the council like the map that currently is in place because they believe it treats them fairly.

Democrats control the council by a 4-3 margin. The GOP members fear Democrats will use that power to redraw lines to favor their party.

County voters approved all of the other questions on the ballot, including enshrining the office of inspector general in the charter and borrowing nearly $600 million for schools, public works and other projects.