Baltimore Mayor Upholding Local Pol Tradition, Building His Own Little Fiefdom

Can I say 'fiefdom,' or is it going to sound racist or something?

This young guy has a yuge chip on his shoulder in that regard - everything black and white in his world, and I don't mean in the moral sense. I mean in the grievance sense.

Baltimore's Mayor Brandon Scott (what is it about that name) is also into forging an unobstructed path to the finer things in the life of an elected official. For instance, his bitchin' $165,000 set of mayorla wheels to tool around town.

Go ahead - ask him how he rates a car more expensive than the governor's and see what kind of answer you get out of the young charmer.

I'll wait.

🔻Of course this happened 😂

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott accused a reporter of racism after being questioned about his new taxpayer-funded SUV, which cost $165,000. pic.twitter.com/1Zf5Pykla3

— Ashley (TeamTrump47) (@TeamTrump47) February 4, 2026

And about the taxpayer money that went to his now-wife's nonprofit or the 'redirection' of $15M in funds to city-related workers and agenda items that was originally raised for victims of the tragic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse?

Nuh-uh.

Don't even go there.

Hizzoner's hackles get all up.

The man does not appreciate anyone up in his business and will go out of his way to block and publicly demean them.

One of those people is the city's own inspector general, Isabel Cumming, who has been in a running battle with the mayor for years now. In February, her office found that Scott's office had blown over $894K on flowers, booze, and entertainment at the city's expense in three years. Scott's office was so purposefully uncooperative in producing requested documents concerning the wife's non-profit and another matter they'd identified (concerning massive fraud in a neighborhood 'holistic safety plan') that the mayor had started that she filed a lawsuit for a declaration of subpoena power.

Baltimore's inspector general said her office uncovered possible fraud involving the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and a now-closed youth diversion pilot program.

Isabel Cumming said the possible fraud includes the exposure of juvenile information and is part of the ongoing investigation into the now-ended youth program.

The OIG said the latest report, which is 48 pages long, claims it uncovered fraudulent invoices concerning the SideStep Pilot Program, which ended in 2024.

The report found that under the program, MONSE paid out $694,000 in invoices.

"While the OIG continues its investigation, the finding of fraudulent invoices has been referred to law enforcement for criminal investigations," the report reads.

A month later, the local stations are doing tongue-in-cheek reports alluding to the success of the mayor's expensive 'holistic' approach.

Five people shot in the city overnight as Mayor announces expansion of Gun Violence Reduction Strategy

Five people were shot across the city of Baltimore in the overnight hours Thursday into Friday.

“GVRS is helping to drive historic reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings across Baltimore,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “By focusing on and intervening in the lives of those at the very highest risk of being shot or shooting someone else, we are building safer communities, changing lives, and removing those who engage in behaviors conducive to group violence off of our streets. This work is making a difference, and expanding the strategy to the Northern District is a key milestone in maintaining the progress we have seen as a city.”

...The city has seen a reduction in homicides and non-fatal shootings over the past few years, though this year's numbers are about the same as last year's.

...BPD has recorded 32 homicides so far for 2026, down three from the 35 at the same time last year. Its year-to-date total for non-fatal shootings is 82, exactly on par with the year-to-date total from last year.

On Friday, the judge hearing the IG's lawsuit wasn't impressed by any of the city's arguments against allowing IG Cumming's oversight to proceed as authorized by Baltimore's own statutes, and said she found the position Mayor Scott's office was taking, both the obstruction and interference, 'concerning.'

That does not bode well for Mayor Scott.

Baltimore’s law department has “cut off, foreclosed, shut down” Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming’s ability to investigate waste, fraud and abuse, the judge overseeing a dispute over her access to records said Friday.

Retired Baltimore Circuit Associate Judge Pamela J. White stopped short of ruling at the hearing but appeared to signal her view of the city’s arguments, saying they were minimizing the authority of the Office of the Inspector General under the city’s charter.

She called the position of Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration “concerning,” and late Friday denied the city’s motion to disqualify Cumming’s attorneys.

“The OIG is an independent agency within city government,” White said, adding it is expected to carry out its responsibilities “without oversight and without interference from the city law department.”

The IG's attorney made it clear that the Office of Inspector General was not the general public, which was how the city had circumvented and delayed the IG's materials requests.

...May said the city was trying to have it “both ways,” arguing that Cumming is part of government yet subjecting her requests for information to the Maryland Public Information Act. That law governs — and limits — how members of the public can access information from government.

He added that the voters “overwhelmingly” granted the inspector general independence to pursue investigations and access city records without barriers.

The judge said Cumming’s subpoena power has been ”not just debated, but crushed by the decision-making of the solicitor’s office.”

This hearing also makes the mayor's next moves seem very sketchy, as if he could be any more so.

Elected officials and those who work in an official government capacity for those elected officials in a city are held responsible for what happens in their offices and, in theory (I know, I KNOW), are obliged to serve the public while following the letter and intent of the law.

Baltimore was projecting a 3.3M deficit through the first quarter of this year. There are lots of bills and much expense-cutting to be juggled.

For example, Baltimore has to pay their poopie plant processor more because it never kept up maintenance on the city's waste treatment facilities.

Baltimore will pay an additional $38.5 million over the next three years as a result of a breakdown in its sewage sludge processing.

The increased costs, which were approved by the city’s spending board Wednesday, will be paid to Synagro Technologies, a company that dries sludge from the city’s two wastewater treatment plants and turns it into fertilizer.

Synagro, which has been a city contractor since the 1990s, stopped processing sludge at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in August. The Middle River-based company has said contamination of flammable hydrocarbons in Back River’s waste — a result of city digesters not working properly — has endangered its industrial dryers.

There are rumored to be layoffs in the public works, fire, and police departments in the current budget projections, with no new equipment or refurbishment money available..

So what does a young mayor under fire do in such times?

Consolidate his power with a staff that, like his super duper Jeep, would be bigger than the governor's.

 Mayor Brandon Scott is seeking to expand Baltimore City Hall’s mayoral staff to a level that would make it larger than the governor’s office, according to his preliminary budget proposal.

Scott is proposing 16 new positions for the mayor’s office, which would bring the total staff to 134.

City Councilman Yitzy Schleifer said the mayor's priorities are misplaced.

“We have so many agencies strapped that need extra help, need new equipment and instead that money is going toward their administration for record level staffing. I'm not sure how they can fit 134 people in those offices," he said.

The size of the mayor’s office has grown significantly over the past decade. Ten years ago, there were 39 staffers working in the mayor’s office. When Scott became mayor, staffing increased, and by 2025 there were 105 staff members. This year, the number rose to 118. The proposed 16 additional positions would bring the total to 134.

And he proposes to do it in the sketchiest way possible - half would be privately funded 'city' employees.

Oh. No worries there.

Baltimore @MayorBMScott proposes 16 new City Hall staffers, bringing total to 134 — larger than the governor's office. Same budget cuts 32 police positions, 8 fire positions, 144 Public Works positions.

Ten years ago the mayor's office had 39 staffers. pic.twitter.com/fmXE9tpTyV

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) April 20, 2026

THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS THAT THE MAYOR WANTS MORE POWER

People think maybe the mayor should use the $4M he does need for all these extra bodies for the city.

...The proposed expansion of the mayor’s office comes as other city departments see staff reductions under the preliminary budget. The plan calls for eight fewer staffers at the fire department and 32 fewer staffers at the police department. Public Works would lose 144 positions.

Schleifer said the additional revenue needed to fund the mayor’s proposed positions should instead be used to reduce property taxes.

“Maybe the mayor's office doesn't need another $4 million. Maybe the mayor's office budget should not have doubled since this administration took office. Maybe that money should go to reducing property taxes, and that's really what it should be doing,” Schleifer said.

Gosh, I don't know. If I had to call 911 and couldn't get a cop or ambulance, so somebody died, or my house burned down, well...at least Mayor Scott has sympathetic people to talk to all day, because he's very important. Muy importante.

And that makes it alright, right?

Besides the way businesses are leaving the city...

Yeah it’s pretty bad here in Baltimore and the outlying areas. Many stores are up and leaving due to the amount of theft. They lock up the condoms at Walmart. Which is odd because I don’t want them to reproduce so I am kind of okay with them stealing and using protection 😂

— Thrilla the Gorilla (@ThrillaRilla369) April 19, 2026

...or bodies are being pulled out of the water...

...there won't really be anything for cops to do. 

Mayor Scott might as well have enough staff to throw body blocks at the IG's inspectors when they try to come up the stairs after some documents.

What a cool gig - get elected and then be able to hire your own posse as the city burns down around you, holistically.

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