Baltimore City Council silent after Inspector General report details spending inside Mayor

Baltimore City, MD — After a scathing new Inspector General report detailed how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent inside the Mayor’s Office, FOX45 reached out to every member of the Baltimore City Council — asking whether they believe the spending reflects an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

So far, none have responded.

The report, which examines spending from July 1, 2022 through November 17, 2025, outlines more than $800,000 spent on food and catering. That includes $52,588.78 spent inside Ravens and Orioles stadium suites alone.

Investigators also found $33,551 spent on flowers for staff birthdays, bereavements, and baby announcements.

The report highlights additional internal celebrations — including a $7,054 goodbye party for a high-ranking administrator who ultimately did not leave city government but instead transferred to another role.

Beyond the purchases themselves, the Inspector General raised concerns about oversight — identifying $167,455.06 in spending that lacked required prior approval.

“The rules of the city government should apply to everyone equally,” Inspector General Isabel Cumming said, “In most agencies, when people have celebrations, they collect the money. They don’t use taxpayer funds because most would never be approved.”

Outside City Hall this week, residents called the spending “wasteful” and “alarming.” “Just based on the numbers, of course I will be upset because I’m not financially stable myself,” one resident told FOX45.

Another questioned, “What gives you the right to spend taxpayer dollars on things that are unapproved that don’t benefit the city?”

Since the City Council plays a central role in approving Baltimore’s budget and overseeing spending, FOX45 emailed all 15 council members asking three questions:

• Do you believe the spending outlined in the report reflects an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars?
• Are you concerned about the $167,000 in purchases cited as lacking proper approval?
• Do you plan to pursue additional oversight, hearings, or legislative changes in response to these findings?

As of publication of this story, we have not heard back.

Taxpayer advocate David Williams says the silence is troubling. “It shouldn’t have taken an inspector general report to uncover this,” said Williams, “City council members need to be outraged. This is a no-brainer. This is a waste of taxpayer money, and they need to be vocal and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Williams added that as the city prepares to debate its next budget — and potential cuts — accountability should come first.

“This is a glimpse into what the city is spending, and it’s really ugly,” he said.