Maryland Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore and his wife paid off a Baltimore water bill of more than $21,000 on Wednesday after it was made public, according to his campaign.
Online city records showed that Moore and his wife Dawn owed $21,200.26 for a water bill associated with their home in Baltimore’s Guilford neighborhood. The most recent payment before Wednesday was $2,000 paid in 2021, according to online records.
“They paid the balance out of an abundance of caution as soon as they were made aware, while they review the accuracy of the charges,” campaign spokesman Brian Jones said in a statement late Wednesday night.
The Moores were not aware of the outstanding bill before Wednesday, according to Jones. Earlier on Wednesday, The Baltimore Brew published a report about the water bill.
Prior to Wednesday, the last payment made on the Moores’ account was $2,000 on March 31, 2021, according to online records.
It was not immediately clear from the Moore campaign whether the Moores had an incorrect bill or had fallen behind on legitimate bills.
Incorrect water bills are periodically a problem for homeowners in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, as officials deal with an aging water and sewer system. Between the city and the county, more than 400,000 homes are part of the water system.
An audit found that the Baltimore Department of Public Works does not send late notices to customers and lacks processes for getting property owners with delinquent accounts to pay their water bills.
The Moores bought the more than 6,000-square-foot home on more than three-quarters of an acre for $2.35 million in 2017, according to state property records.
Moore is facing Republican nominee Dan Cox and three third-party candidates in the general election for governor this fall.
Polling indicates that Moore is a heavy favorite in the race. A Goucher College Poll in partnership with The Baltimore Banner and WYPR Radio in early September showed more with a 53%-31% lead over Cox, while a more recent poll from The Washington Post and the University of Maryland had Moore with a 60%-28% lead over Cox.
