Baltimore Voters Approve Ending Lowest-Bidder Rule
Question E removes the city's requirement to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder, opening the door to a customized bid scoring system.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in City Hall
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Baltimore voters approved nine ballot questions on Tuesday, including Question E, which eliminates the city's requirement to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder. The change lets city officials create a customized system for scoring contract bids.
Why it matters
The lowest-bidder requirement rewarded contractors who submitted low bids and later raised project costs through multiple change orders. Officials on the Board of Estimates have complained about significant cost overruns on city projects.
Voters approved nine ballot questions, and Question E repeals the lowest responsible bidder requirement. The Harford Road Bridge project required 17 change orders and exceeded its budget by millions, though how the new rubric will affect future costs has not been determined.
The players
Harford Road Bridge
A Northeast Baltimore bridge spanning Herring Run whose construction required 17 change orders and ran over budget by millions of dollars.
The details
Question E will be implemented through city code rather than the city charter, and could let officials weigh factors such as local hiring or a contractor's past performance on projects. Residents retain the right to protest contracts before they are signed, and Baltimore already considers minority- and women-owned business status and assigns subcontracting goals on some contracts.
Timeline
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Baltimore voters approve nine ballot questions, including Question E.
Civic Context
Question E departs from Baltimore's long-standing charter requirement to award contracts to the lowest responsible bidder. The change moves procurement decisions toward a scored rubric that can weigh hiring and past performance alongside price.
Residents may see contract decisions shift from price alone to a scored rubric that includes local hiring and contractor performance. Costs could rise or fall under the new system, and residents keep the right to protest contracts before signing.
The takeaway
Voters have given Baltimore officials more flexibility in how they choose contractors, shifting the balance between low price and proven performance. Whether that flexibility controls costs will depend on how the new scoring rubric is designed and applied.
Further reading
For more on how the city government works, see Baltimore City Hall.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Baltimore Banner.
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Should local governments pick contractors based on more than just the lowest bid?
