Mayor Scott calls for more oversight for Baltimore IG, launches MONSE probe

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott responded to mounting criticism over his office’s efforts to curtail the inspector general’s access to records with a plan to increase oversight of the position and launch an independent review of the city’s SideStep program.

Scott’s proposal, which he announced during a news conference Wednesday, requires action from local and state legislators to amend the structure of the office and determine the level of access inspectors general are entitled to.

Locally, Scott has proposed creating an “audit trail” for when the inspector general requests records that could later be reviewed by an oversight board. He also proposed appointing a representative from the city’s law office to mediate disputes between the administration and the inspector general.

At the state level, Scott is calling for amendments to the Maryland Public Information Act to offer a limited carve-out for inspectors general statewide. He also requested mandatory oversight boards and regular reviews of inspector general work.

“Our oversight system is not a political football, but its current structure has allowed it to become one,” Scott said of current rules, which do not require periodic review.

Scott’s proposal would return the city to a mayor-controlled structure for the inspector general — a system residents voted to eliminate in 2018. That year, voters made the inspector general an independent office under the city’s charter after a history of mayors terminating inspectors general critical of their administrations.

A second charter amendment further strengthened the office by changing the structure of its advisory board, which previously included some of the city’s highest officeholders.

Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The proposal comes amid a dispute between Scott and Cumming over the latter’s access to city documents. Earlier this year, the Scott administration terminated Cumming’s ability to review city legal records after discovering that she and her staff had “unfettered access.” The mayor’s office argued that was a violation of attorney-client and work-product privileges.

Weeks later, the administration blocked the IG’s access to a wider swath of records after receiving legal advice from an attorney with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. That guidance, which Attorney General Anthony Brown has since tried to distance himself from, said Cumming’s office was subject to restrictions in the Maryland Public Information Act. Those restrictions limit access to sensitive records, including financial information and personnel documents.

In response, Cumming sued the Scott administration, asking a judge to force Scott’s team to fulfill subpoenas. The case is pending, but last month the judge overseeing it called the administration’s position “concerning.”

At the heart of the dispute are records related to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, specifically a youth diversion program called SideStep. Cumming’s reports have criticized the program’s oversight and found evidence of fraudulent invoices submitted by two of its vendors.

Scott said Wednesday that critics of Baltimore’s anti-violence initiatives have used the dispute to undermine the work, suggesting the office has something to hide.

“That simply is just a lie,” he said. “Their work is public, community-driven and backed by extensive research and data.”

Scott announced that he has tapped consulting firm Baker Tilly to conduct an independent review of SideStep, a pilot program that ended in 2024. He said the city needs someone “neutral to restore trust,” adding that the firm will begin its work as soon as possible. The city will pursue legal action against contractors if warranted, Scott said. It’s not clear how much the review will cost.

The local portion of Scott’s proposal requires action from the Baltimore City Council, which just this week pumped the brakes on a proposed ballot question that aimed to enshrine the inspector general’s access to records. An effort to expedite the ballot question failed in a 1-13 vote.

In addition to the proposed audit trail, Scott’s plan would require the inspector general’s oversight board to conduct quarterly reviews of the IG’s investigative work.

Last week, Gayle Guilford, chair of the board, told the City Council that she did not want the board to oversee Cumming’s investigations.

Council President Zeke Cohen, who has been supportive of past efforts to make the inspector general more independent but voted against the proposed ballot question, said the council is “committed to effective oversight and accountability.”

“We appreciate the mayor putting forward this proposal and we look forward to reviewing it,” Cohen said.

Asked how he expected the inspector general to receive the proposal, Scott said: “No one is above oversight.”