Bills to increase oversight, transparency introduced by Baltimore mayor amid inspector general controversy
A package of legislation aimed at strengthening oversight and transparency in city government was introduced by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Wednesday amid ongoing controversy with the city's inspector general.
The mayor said the proposal provides guidance to address the inspector general's concerns about accessing records.
It comes after the Inspector General's Office sued the city in February, with IG Isabel Cumming claiming she was blocked from accessing documents that are essential to her job.
According to Cumming, the city refused to comply with a subpoena when she was trying to get financial records for the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) youth program SideStep.
The city responded to the subpoena by providing heavily redacted documents, Cumming said.
"It is very clear I can subpoena any records. [The city has] decided not to respond...they did nothing," she said in February. "So I am now suing the city for the SideStep records they will not give us so I can do my job."
The lawsuit is ongoing, with the latest motion in April when the judge allowed Cumming to keep her own attorneys during the battle.
Proposed oversight measures
According to Mayor Scott, the bills proposed Wednesday aim to address concerns about the "effectiveness and trustworthiness" of the inspector general's office.
The mayor's proposal takes several steps to "clarify" the inspector general's oversight process. The measure also amends the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) to make the IG's office exempt for nearly all categories.
This is only part of the mayor's proposal. He also aims to conduct an independent examination of the SideStep program, the focus of the initial inspector general subpoena.
Mayor Scott also plans to advocate for statewide legislation in 2027 to amend the MPIA to establish oversight and "carve out" inspectors general and advocate for city charter amendments to update the inspector general's oversight structure once state law changes.
Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway has previously advocated for legislation that would restore the IG's direct access to necessary records.
"What has been described by the mayor today sounds like a system where the Inspector General can investigate government misconduct only through procedures controlled by the Mayor's lawyers and politically contaminated oversight structures," Conway said in a statement. "If this goes through, the OIG's access will be once again subordinate to the Law Department and suffer the same suffocating executive pressure that has smothered other oversight structures like the Police Accountability Board."
Calling for an independent investigation
According to Mayor Scott, the goal of an independent investigation into SideStep is to complete a thorough and neutral review "free from politicization."
The city is in the process of working with Baker Tilly, a global firm that provides forensic accounting and legal services, for a forensic review, the mayor said.
According to the mayor, if the review confirms the inspector general's findings of fraudulent invoices, the city will "utilize every tool at its disposal to recoup those funds and take action against those who perpetrated fraud against the city."
