Citizens often understand that when a city elects a mayor, residents are on the hook for transportation costs. The elected official needs to get around town. But the mayor of Baltimore recently abused his power by leaving struggling taxpayers responsible for a $163k SUV. 

Baltimore Mayor swears he needs a $163k SUV 

Mayor Brandon Scott is pretty proud of his $163,495 2025 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. This fully loaded luxury SUV costs about $98,718. Then it gained about $64,779 in custom security upgrades. 

The extra features include police lights, sirens, and a security communications microphone. But in order to keep residents in the dark, the city redacted line-item prices for each custom feature. 

According to Fox Baltimore, city officials shared that an auto shop typically wouldn’t share this information with competitors or the public. However, the public is on the hook for the massive bill. 

Scott defends the Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV by saying the new vehicle will serve the same purpose as the old one. It’s to transport him around. He claims residents will understand the governor of Maryland, comptroller, and county executives all have cars. 

This goes against Scott’s climate goals. In 2023, he signed legislation requiring the city’s administrative fleet to transition to zero emissions by 2023. But the Grand Wagoner isn’t even a bird and gets an EPA-estimated 14 mpg in the city and up to 20 mpg on the highway. 

Scott shared that they will have an electric vehicle when one can meet the safety standards necessary for an executive vehicle. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu went with a Ford Mustang Mach-E for about $50,000 before adding safety features. 

In 2023, the city purchased an Expedition, which totaled $99,242. It’s $64,252 cheaper than the Grand Wagoneer. This purchase comes under Baltimore’s $4.6 billion budget after closing an $85 million deficit with significant increases in fees and fines.