Baltimore leaders feud over BGE deal, delaying major police corruption settlement

BALTIMORE -- Wednesday was not business as usual before Baltimore City's spending board. Tensions spilled into public view when two key members—the comptroller and city council president—boycotted the meeting to protest a deal with BGE backed by Mayor Brandon Scott.

That deal would give BGE management control over a system of hundreds of miles of underground cables.

The fighting delayed a major settlement with victims of the Gun Trace Task Force.

"I've never seen the Board of Estimates operate like it did this morning," city council member Robert Stokes said.

Comptroller Bill Henry said the mayor is trying to rush through the BGE deal. 

"We believe we are right, and he is wrong," he said. "There are many of us, but I have yet to find one other elected official in this building other than the mayor who thinks this is a great idea and we should do it now."

That deal would give BGE power over more than 700 miles of underground cables that control electricity, phones and other key utilities. BGE would maintain the system and pay the city $138.5 million over the next four years. 

Critics say the city should be getting more.

Mayor Brandon Scott defended his actions and respectfully disagreed, saying it frees the city of costly maintenance responsibilities.

"This is a win for the city of Baltimore," Scott said. "Anyone saying anything else either doesn't understand it or doesn't want to understand it." 

The mayor addressed the board before the vote passed and was supported by the head of the city's law department who also sits on the Board of Estimates.

"They can try to challenge it," Acting City Solicitor Ebony Thompson told WJZ. "We believe we will be victorious moving forward and this vote will count. The contract is now approved." 

Mayor Scott's office later said in a statement that the historic deal "results in millions of dollars of additional investment into the conduit while also ensuring the City retains 100 percent ownership over every inch of the conduit system."

"Over the next four years, BGE will undertake $134 million in capital improvements and will pay $1.5 million annually in maintenance fees," the statement said. "The City will collect $6.5 million more than what was collected under the previous agreement in 2016, and will still be able to perform its own capital improvements, maintenance, while charging others for use of the conduit."

Additionally, the statement noted that BGE is obligated to employ at least 25% of minority and women-owned businesses by Maryland's Public Service Commission. Also, the energy company has agreed to be completely liable for any system failures or other mishaps as a result of its work on the conduit. 

"The City will receive the remainder amount in a lump sum if the full amount is not spent by the end of the 4-year agreement," the statement said.

City voters recently approved a measure that will not allow the sale of infrastructure.

Henry declined to say whether there would be a definite challenge to the spending board's vote.

But he did note that "there was no meeting of the board of estimates this morning."

The fight placed other business on hold. That included required city approval of a $6 million settlement with the family of Elbert Davis, Sr. 

Davis was killed in 2010 when a car slammed into him after being chased by members of the disgraced police Gun attack Task Force who later planted drugs on the driver.

"Corrupt cops who swore to protect and serve were nothing more than criminals," his daughter Shirley Johnson told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren in 2018. 

Davis' loved ones have waited more than a decade for justice that was delayed again because of a city feud. 

"I cannot even begin to describe how profoundly disappointed I am, and my colleagues are, at how this played out," city council member Eric Costello said of the Tuesday spending board meeting.

Davis' family attorney declined to comment Wednesday and told Hellgren the family would not comment until the settlement is approved. 

The Board of Estimates meets again on March 1.  

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• Baltimore
• BGE
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