BALTIMORE — A hearing at Baltimore City Hall on a charter amendment introduced by Councilman Mark Conway that would outline which records the city's inspector general has full access to.
At the center of the issue is whether the inspector general is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act. The inspector general's office says it is being held to the same record access requirements as members of the public and argues it shouldn't be. She says the restrictions delay investigations by months.
Hearing on Baltimore inspector general access charter amendment
"Three months to get redacted documents that did not, would not enable us to do our investigation," said Inspector General Isabel Cumming.
Cumming added there is no way to know if fraud is happening when documents are redacted.
"When you're given documents that don't have human beings to interview you don't know who's involved. You don't know," said Cumming.
Mayor Brandon Scott says his office is following state law by redacting the information.
"Our position from the beginning has been extremely clear. We took the actions that we took reluctantly, but they were necessary to ensure that the inspector general were acting within the parameters of state law. As we said to you, if the state changed the law, we will follow that. They did not do that," said Scott.
The city law department is also against the charter amendment, saying it violates the Maryland Public Information Act.
"I just want to remind folks that Baltimore wouldn't have an open data law if it weren't for me. And just, we want to, everybody has to follow state law and be accountable," said Mayor Scott.
The charter amendment must pass out of committee, then clear the full council, before going to the mayor for approval or denial. If the mayor vetoes it, the council would need to override the veto.
Baltimore residents would then have to vote to approve it.
The state legislature is expected to take up the issue during the next legislative session in Annapolis, as similar disputes have emerged in other areas. A legal battle between the mayor and the inspector general remains ongoing.
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