Government Watchdog Group Urges Baltimore City Council Members to Approve Charter Amendment

For Immediate Release                                                                             Contact: Abigail Graham: (202) 417-7235

July 25, 2022                                                                                                                 

Washington, D.C. – Today, as the Baltimore City Council holds a final vote on a charter amendment to make the Office of the Inspector General (IG) board independent, Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) President, David Williams, offered the following statement:

“In preparation of today’s vote, TPA urges City Council members to approve the charter amendment to appear on the November 8^th ballot that will create an independent oversight board. As an organization dedicated to government oversight and accountability, TPA believes this amendment would be a significant step in the right direction to continue the important work of the IG in calling out government fraud, waste, and abuse.

“Since becoming independent of the Mayor’s office in 2019, the Baltimore City IG has identified tens of millions of dollars in wasteful spending.  The current and future Baltimore City IGs need an independent Advisory Board to keep political influence out of the office.  The current structure of the Advisory Board is not acceptable and has seen a number of conflicts of interest in the last few years.  The people of Baltimore deserve a board that is free from any political bias or influence.

“If passed by the City Council, passing the charter amendment will be one of TPA’s top priorities so Baltimore will have an IG and Advisory Board that serves the interests of taxpayers and not politicians.”

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.