Mayor Expresses Support for Independent Inspector General

BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, December 1, 2021) - After holding two in-depth meetings and reviewing a number of materials for the purpose of conducting an annual performance review, the Inspector General Advisory Board delivered its inaugural performance review to Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Under the City Charter, a seven-member Advisory Board is charged with meeting “at least once annually to review the performance of the Inspector General”.

It is up to the Inspector General whether to make the reviews public. Inspector General Cumming released the document this morning. 

These performance reviews prepared by each Advisory Board member, including a 10 page review by the Chair, set forth the Advisory Board’s responsibility to conduct the performance review, describes the steps taken to conduct the review, presents an evaluation of the Inspector General’s performance, and discusses the importance of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) independence. 

Collectively the reviews provide constructive feedback and ultimately find that the Inspector General is doing an effective job and is held in high regard by the public. They also find that the OIG is hard-working, highly capable, and committed to carrying out its obligations under the Charter. 

“I support a strong and independent Office of the Inspector General, and thank the Advisory Board for fulfilling its core responsibility, in accordance with the Charter,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Inspector General Cumming is hard-working, capable, and committed to our city. I look forward to continuing to work with the OIG in our shared mission to ensure the responsible stewardship of City resources.” 

Mayor Scott co-sponsored the charter amendment that established an independent Office of Inspector General, which the voters approved in 2018, and has a long history of supporting the Inspector General and improving oversight of City government. He has supported legislation that strengthened protections for whistleblowers (19-0377 and 21-0093), tightened the City’s financial disclosure requirements (19-0376), and increased the OIG’s authority by placing the Board of Ethics under that Office’s responsibility (19-0378).

“This first annual performance review is presented in a spirit of collaboration and with a goal of strengthening the IG to better serve the City of Baltimore,” said City Solicitor Jim Shea, Chair of the Inspector General Advisory Board. “Baltimore will not reach its full potential without an effective Inspector General. The Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General is well on its way to meeting that standard.”

“As Mayor Scott’s designated member on the Advisory Board, I have a greater responsibility to elevate the noble charge of the Office of the Inspector General and shed light on the everyday tasks that often go overlooked by the public,” said Mayor Scott’s Chief of Staff Michael Huber. “I support the sentiments expressed in the Advisory Board’s performance review of the Office.”

The Inspector General Advisory Board is responsible for conducting a performance review for the Inspector General and assessing the Office of the Inspector General’s budget. The review process helps the general public understand the internal operations and significance the Office of the Inspector General plays in Baltimore City government.