TOWSON, Md. (WBFF) — The president of the Baltimore County Council is under fire after what some are calling a last-minute effort to strip the county’s watchdog.
The move comes more than two years after county lawmakers, including County Executive Johnny Olszewski, tried to create a politician-controlled oversight board to keep tabs on the county inspector general. That legislation ultimately failed due to pushback from the public.
FOX45 News learned Monday evening that Baltimore County Council President Julian E. Jones, Jr., who also supported the legislation two years ago, circulated two inspector general charter bill amendments to colleagues over the weekend.
The original bill was discussed at length during last week’s County Council hearing, including a review of a Blue Ribbon Commission report focused on reforming the watchdog’s office.
The circulated amendments targeted both the oversight and funding of the Office of the Inspector General.
The council was instructed not to publicly release the proposed amendments, leaving even the inspector general without notice until just before Monday’s hearing.
I then learned this afternoon, at around 2:00, that the new amendments had been proposed to the bill by [Council Council] Chairman Jones,” Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan explained to FOX45 News after Monday’s hearing. “I never received a copy of those amendments. Those amendments dramatically changed the entire bill.”
The council moved to defer a vote on the amendments, which would have kept the legislative changes confidential.
FOX45 News received a copy of the charter bill’s amendments after Monday’s hearing. The most controversial proposal would establish an Inspector General Advisory Board that would be able to generate policies for the watchdog’s office and receive all investigative reports prior to publication.
The bill modification also calls for the availability of tax dollars to reimburse any county employee for criminal defense legal fees as the result of an inspector general investigation.
During an interview following Monday’s hearing, Inspector General Madigan slammed the proposed amendments.
“One of these new amendments proposes this idea that a lawyer is provided to every Baltimore County employee for every interaction they have with the inspector general’s office,” Madigan explained to FOX45 News. “We are conducting administrative investigations. There is no constitutional right to a lawyer should you choose to want to hire a lawyer, you can do so at your own costs.
That would be a huge cost to the county to pay for all of these lawyers,” Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan added.
David Williams, a spokesperson for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, supported Madigan’s opinion that the charter bill’s amendments would strip the inspector general of key powers to perform oversight.
“Any strong inspector general needs two things. They need independence, and they need access to records,” Williams explained to FOX45 News.
Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming broke her silence after the county’s hearing to defend her regional counterpart.
“What was very strange was just a week earlier, Kelly had been meeting with these exact people, and not one person raised an issue,” Inspector General Cumming told FOX45 News. “Suddenly, we do have an issue. We have entire amendments changing everything.”
Cumming's office fought a similar fight being waged in the county. The Baltimore City watchdog told FOX45 News that an advisory board for an inspector general is unheard of.
“Best practices across the United States is actually there is no advisory board. Eighty-five percent of inspectors general do not have one,” Cumming explained.
This issue was brought to the citizens of Baltimore City and they voted 87% to completely change the board and make it an independent, citizen-run board,” Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming highlighted to FOX45 News.
County Executive Olszewski reaffirmed his support for the original legislation in a statement Monday.
Our administration remains fully committed to the long-term success of the Office of the Inspector General. That is why we created, supported and have repeated expanded the office and it is why we proposed common sense legislation to implement the recommendations of the independent Blue Ribbon Commission on Ethics and Accountability. We continue to support our proposed legislation as introduced,” County Executive Olszewski said in a statement.
The controversy over the Baltimore County Office of the Inspector General comes as the agency has seen a surge in complaints received during the past fiscal year.
RELATED | Baltimore County Inspector General's office has busiest year so far, per annual report
In August, the office's annual report showed that during FY23, the office received 213 complaints and opened 19 investigations. According to the inspector general's data, this marks a 37% increase in complaints for the division, matched with a 27% increase in investigations.
In one investigative report published this year, the IG made a referral of a roofing company to the county’s prosecutor for inflating the cost of a subcontract involving minority-owned businesses.
Baltimore City Inspector General Cumming told FOX45 News she hopes county residents voice their frustration to elected officials.
It’s truly just a such a step back for Baltimore County, and I hope the citizens of Baltimore County realize this and reach out to their electeds to say this should not happen because it’s their money that Kelly Madigan has been investigating,” Baltimore City Inspector General Cumming said. “Of course, that’s not something politicians always want.
FOX45 News reached out to Council President Jones for comment. Requests were not immediately answered.
Follow Gary Collins on X. Do you have news tips on this story or others? Send news tips to gmcollins@sbgtv.com.
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