Baltimore has always been a city with soul. A city with grit. But lately, it feels like we’re constantly being pushed aside by wealthy outsiders who treat our home like a personal experiment for their own political and financial gains. We’ve seen it with gentrification that pushes families out of neighborhoods they’ve called home for generations. We’ve seen it with corporations that take over vital community resources, leaving us with food deserts and polluted air. And now, David Smith, a far-right multi-millionaire and owner of Sinclair Media, wants to put the final nail in the coffin.

It’s not enough that he already owns several major local news organizations, including The Baltimore Sun. He still wants more control, more power and more opportunities to strip away what makes Baltimore, Baltimore. And this November, he’s banking on us not paying attention so he can change our city outright. 

I am a Baltimore City native, a Black woman, and I know what it feels like to come from a struggling working family. I’ve always felt proud and safe knowing that our city council has majority Black representation that aligns with the population of our city. It’s a rare thing for a city like ours to have such a strong voice that represents the people. Growing up, I saw firsthand how gentrification projects and displacement affected my classmates in high school. Some of them were pushed to move out of their homes, and I watched them take two or three buses, even a train, just to make it to school. It was heartbreaking. And now, there’s another attack on the culture of our city — this time, politically. It’s not a good feeling.

Earlier this year, Smith and his allies tried to push a referendum that would have cut Baltimore City property taxes in half. Their proposal would have required a drastic reduction in city services, affecting our most vulnerable citizens the most. Thankfully, it was stopped before it could be placed on the ballot, but it shows us the type of people we’re dealing with. They don’t care about the well-being of Baltimoreans; they only care about what they can gain from us. And now, they’re coming after our political representation.

Now they are pushing a referendum to cut city council seats, and make no mistake, this isn’t about efficiency or good governance. It’s about silencing us. It’s about reducing the power and influence of Black and brown communities by cramming them into larger districts where they’ll be overshadowed by wealthier, whiter areas, making it easier for those areas to dominate decision-making in our city. It would leave our poorest, most marginalized residents fighting for scraps when it comes to representation. This is personal to me. Our city council is one of the few places where ordinary Baltimoreans like my family and I still have a voice. Cutting those seats takes that power away from us and puts it in the hands of those who don’t care about our struggles or our future. When you slash representation, you undermine democracy. 

Baltimore’s Black residents deserve to be fully represented. The thought of cutting council seats means candidates from less advantaged parts of the districts would struggle to raise money to compete with more affluent candidates. That would reduce representation for the very people who need it most. Office-holders would likely cater their policies to the wealthier communities, shifting their focus away from the needs of struggling working-class families. This isn’t just a political issue; it’s an attack on the soul of our city.

I am fed up with outsiders and wealthy entities coming in to take things from us. They’ve already messed with our neighborhoods and displaced our families. Now, they’re messing with our political system, and that’s where I draw the line. Baltimore is Black, and yet they want to cut seats, which means cutting representation from the majority. Our city is not a lab for right-wing social experiments. We won’t stand by while billionaires like David Smith manipulate our city’s politics and strip away our rights to fund their personal agendas. This is our city. It belongs to us, the people who live here, work here, and raise families here.

We’ve been used, neglected, and mistreated for too long by outsiders who swoop in to profit off our struggles. We won’t let them take from us, and we won’t let them destroy what makes Baltimore special.

Baltimore is not for sale. And this November, every single true Baltimorean — no matter your race, age, or wealth — needs to rise up and vote NO on this ballot question. They think they can take Baltimore away from us. We need to show them that they’re wrong.

Janay Fenner is the Communications Coordinator at Progressive Maryland, a statewide nonprofit advocating for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice. Progressive Maryland leads grassroots organizing, public education, and legislative efforts to create progressive change and empower working-class communities across the state.

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