This week, the Board of Estimates decided to treat the city’s rules like a mere suggestion, quickly approving thousands of dollars in travel expenses for Mayor Brandon Scott’s office. Much of this was for trips that had already happened, proving once again that Mayor Scott’s staff travels while taxpayers eat the $1.8M bill without ever being asked for permission.
The “Rubber Stamp” Scandal
There is a specific kind of arrogance required to spend public money first and ask for forgiveness later. City regulations are crystal clear: staffers are supposed to get travel approved before they leave. Instead, the Board of Estimates greenlit over $12,000 for trips that were completed up to nine months ago.
Taxpayer advocate David Williams hit the nail on the head when he called this a “rubber stamp” process. When you approve travel after the fact, you aren’t governing, you’re just paying off a credit card bill that the public never authorized. It’s a problem that suggests a total lack of fiscal discipline within the administration.
Jazz Festivals
If you’re wondering what kind of “critical” business requires this much movement, the list is almost laughable.
• The Atlanta Jazz Festival: One staffer spent over $1,600 to “observe” a park event. Baltimore has parks. Baltimore has music. Why are they paying for someone to fly to Georgia to see how a concert works?
• Las Vegas Conventions: Later this month, another $7,400 has been set aside for a “shopping center convention” in Vegas.
• Dallas Data Trips: Over $1,100 was dropped so a staffer could “interface with data” in person. In an era of Zoom and digital cloud sharing, flying across the country to look at data is an insult to every resident struggling with Baltimore’s rising cost of living.
The “Lunch” Defense
Mayor Scott’s defense is as hollow as it gets. He claims that if his staff isn’t at these events, other cities will “eat our lunch.” It’s a convenient excuse, but it ignores the reality that while Mayor Scott’s staff travels while taxpayers are eating the $1.8M bill, the streets of Baltimore aren’t getting any safer, and the schools aren’t getting any better.
A Leadership Failure
This is atrocious leadership. Mayor Brandon Scott likes to present himself as a new kind of leader, but this is the same old Baltimore “pay-to-play” energy. Spending $1.8 million on travel in a single year while the city faces a violent crime crisis and crumbling infrastructure is more than just a “budget concern” it’s a slap in the face.
If the Mayor is so worried about other cities “eating our lunch,” maybe he should spend more time in his own city making sure the people of Baltimore can afford their own. Traveling to Vegas on the public dime isn’t “growth”, it’s a vacation funded by people who can’t afford a day off. It’s time to stop the rubber-stamping and start demanding accountability before another million dollars flies out of BWI.
