Baltimore audit reveals millions in unpaid bills, sparking frustration among city leaders

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:04]NUMBERS.

[00:00:05]IT BECAME AN UNCOMFORTABLE BOARD OF ESTIMATES MEETING THIS MORNING AS THE CITY AUDITOR LAID OUT THE FINDINGS FROM HIS MOST RECENT AUDIT.

[00:00:14]THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE SAYS IT WAS UNDERSTAFFING THAT LED TO A MOUNTAIN OF UNPAID BILLS GOING UNCOLLECTED.

[00:00:20]THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY JUST STANDING OUT THERE, CITY AUDITOR JASON PASH LAYING OUT THE NEWS BALTIMORE MISSED OUT ON MILLIONS IN 2023 AND 2024.

[00:00:33]HIS AUDIT OF DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE RECORDS REVEALED GLARING ERRORS IN THE CITY’S INVOICES AND A PILE OF BILLS.

[00:00:40]CONSUMERS AND CITY CONTRACTED BUSINESSES SIMPLY DIDN’T PAY.

[00:00:44]UNPAID LEASES, UTILITIES AND CONDUIT PAYMENTS ALONE, TOTALING MORE THAN $4 MILLION.

[00:00:48]WE’RE NOT THEN SENDING THEM TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT FOR FOLLOW UP.

[00:00:53]THERE’S NO SORT OF NEXT STEP HERE.

[00:00:55]IT’S JUST THEY JUST STAY ON OUR FINANCIAL RECORDS.

[00:00:58]THEY THEY THEY SEND YOU A BILL.

[00:00:59]YOU SHOULD PAY IT.

[00:01:01]I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY’RE NOT SENDING IT, BUT I GUESS THERE’S NO RECOURSE IF THERE’S NO BACK UP PLAN TO CHARGE THE PEOPLE.

[00:01:09]I MEAN, TO TO CONVICT THE PEOPLE, THEN THEY JUST DIDN’T DO IT.

[00:01:14]MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT, GRILLING THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY’S FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND ASKING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT’S FAILURE TO REFER DELINQUENT BILLS TO OTHER AGENCIES TO ME, IS UNACCEPTABLE.

[00:01:23]WHY ISN’T THERE A AUTOMATIC POLICY THAT ANYBODY THAT DOESN’T PAY THEIR BILLS, WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN GOING TO THE LAW DEPARTMENT?

[00:01:31]THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT SAID IT REVIEWED LAWS DATING BACK TO 1989, FINDING THAT’S NEVER BEEN THE POLICY.

[00:01:38]FINANCE DIRECTOR MICHAEL MOXON SAYS THE ISSUES WERE THE RESULT OF STAFFING PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN RESOLVED, SAYING THE DEPARTMENT IS USING NEW POLICIES AND RECOUPED MORE THAN $4 MILLION IN UNPAID BILLS LAST YEAR.

[00:01:51]ANY DOLLAR IS A DOLLAR TOO MUCH AND WE WILL HAVE AN ULTIMATE COMPLETE SOLUTION THAT DOES NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OUT.

[00:01:59]LATER THIS YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE COULD NOT GIVE AN ANSWER AS TO WHO OWNS THE CITY MONEY, AND JUST HOW MUCH.

[00:02:05]OF COURSE, THAT DID NOT GO OVER WELL WITH MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT.

[00:02:08]TODAY.

[00:02:08]WE’LL HAVE HIS RESPONSE COMING