Baltimore City Council Member Keiffer Jackson Mitchell wants to ensure all money spent for school construction projects is accounted for. An Examiner staff writer reports that he plans to add amendments to a bill that will authorize a $36 million bond for school construction to give greater oversight control to the council at the next meeting Aug. 14.
That is a no-brainer. The City Council must make sure that we the people?s tax dollars are being used appropriately.
Mitchell?s amendments do not go far enough, however. The City Council must not approve the bond until all past funds have been accounted for, including $32 million approved in 2002. And it should adopt a rule that requires the school system to release regularly scheduled financial updates detailing how building funds are used.
Public companies must provide a detailed accounting of their business every quarter. How is it that the school system has escaped that responsibility for so many years?
