EASTBALTCO.COM

Baltimore County officials announced that the Olszewski Administration will be postponing plans to introduce legislation to create an oversight board for the Office of the Inspector General and will engage in a robust stakeholder engagement process to review proposed updates to rules governing the newly created office.

County spokesperson Sean Naron on Monday issued the following statement:

“Our administration is proud to be the most open, accessible and transparent in Baltimore County’s history. In just a few years we have taken unprecedented steps forward, including creating and expanding the County’s first-ever Inspector General.

We remain committed to filling gaps in the current law to provide appropriate accountability measures, but we want to ensure all concerns are thoughtfully considered.

In the coming weeks, we will engage a diverse group of expert stakeholders to review and strengthen proposed policies so that we can help ensure the success of this important office.”

Fifth District Councilman David Marks released a statement supporting Olszewski decision to postpone the legislation.

“I have supported the creation of a Baltimore County Inspector General since 2018,” Marks said.

“Many of you have contacted me about proposed legislation that would have modified this office. I purposely used the Fourth of July holiday to listen to many of your comments. I am pleased the County Executive will postpone the introduction of this bill and create a workgroup instead, a concept I recommended.

“Our government is based on a system of checks and balances. I look forward to legislation that improves accountability throughout county government.”

This story has been updated.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski introduced legislation to create an oversight board for the Office of the Inspector General and update rules governing the office to align with statutes governing Inspectors General in other jurisdictions. The administration worked in collaboration with the Inspector General to gather feedback on the proposed legislation.

“Local government should be held to the highest standards of ethics and accountability, and I’m proud of our work to create and support the County’s first Office of the Inspector General,” Olszewski said. “Creating an oversight board for this important, independent office builds on our ongoing work to foster open and accountable government. I look forward to continuing to work cooperatively with the Inspector General to improve transparency and accountability at all levels of government.”

Similar to the oversight structure Inspectors General in other jurisdictions, the proposed seven-member board would be composed of:
The County Attorney, who will chair the board and may assign staff from the Office of Law to the board;
The County Administrative Officer or their designee;
The Director of Budget and Finance, or the Director’s designee;
The County Council Chair, or the Chair’s designee;
The Secretary to the County Council; and
Two County residents jointly approved by the County Executive and the County Council Chair who are on faculty at a law school, public policy school or public administration school.
The oversight board would be responsible for reviewing the Inspector General’s performance, policies, and procedures, in addition to reviewing complaints against the inspector general. An affirmative vote of four members is required for the board to take any action. The board will meet at least once annually and must have a quorum of four members.

Under this new legislation, the Inspector General will be required to submit an annual report to the board within the first 60 days of each year, detailing the accomplishments of the office, including any monetary savings directly attributable to the office’s work.

In addition, the proposed bill clarifies that the IG may request access to records and information that is not protected, confidential or privileged under federal or state law, and that suspected criminal activity should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement entity.

Since taking office, the Olszewski administration has taken unprecedented steps to make local government more accountable to the people it serves. Olszewski’s first major legislative priority was a package of ethics and accountability reforms, which included legislation to create the County’s first Office of Ethics and Accountability, now re-named the Office of the Inspector General.

The legislation will be introduced to the County Council during the legislative session on Tuesday, July 6 and is expected to be voted on during the August 2, 2021 legislative session.