Howard County Council members unanimously approved a resolution Monday to add a question about amending the county’s charter to establish an Office of the Inspector General on November’s election ballot.

The office, proposed in a bill by council Vice Chair Liz Walsh earlier this month, would “uncover and address instances of waste, fraud and abuse” in organizations that receive county funding.

Walsh proposed the office with advice and inspiration from Inspectors General Isabel Cumming and Kelly Madigan of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, respectively. She also proposed an accompanying bill to form a citizen board to appoint an inspector general, and code revisions regarding whistleblower complaints, the composition of the Howard County Ethics Commission and the repeal of certain county auditor duties.

But after receiving testimony supporting and critiquing the proposed office at a public hearing, council members worked on an amendment to Howard County’s charter to ensure the inspector general is an “independent office outside of the control of the executive and legislative branches,” Chair Deb Jung said at a Friday news conference.

“Everyone who showed up for council bills 47 and 48, you made this charter amendment happen,” Walsh, who represents District 1, said Friday. “It’s just what everyone here told us they wanted. One clear message from every person we’ve heard from, no matter their politics — Howard County wants an inspector general, now.”

Many, such as former County Executive Allan Kittleman and about 10 community members, expressed their desire for the inspector general to remain completely independent of the executive and legislative branches of government at a public comment session. Some were concerned that the appointments to Walsh’s proposed citizen board would be influenced by the political figures appointing them.

Under the current charter, County Executive Calvin Ball would appoint the board members, Jung said. The new amendment would allow council members to also nominate and appoint people to the citizen board, she added. If the amendment is approved by voters, council members will look for candidates with “investigatory experience,” or those with experience as an inspector general or auditor.

The charter amendment also allows for “full and meaningful independence” from the government, with the office existing “outside of both the legislative and executive branches,” District 3 council member Christiana Rigby said Friday. The amendment allows the proposed office to have its own budget and power to appoint people to help with its investigations, according to the charter amendment.

The amendment does not eliminate the role of the county auditor, Rigby added. The auditor will continue to do financial audits, checking payroll and other processes to ensure everything is running the way it should, Rigby explained at Friday’s news conference. The Office of the Inspector General will take on the role of investigating fraud, waste and abuse in government instead.

Council member Opel Jones, who represents District 2, added that the new office will “continue to maintain the high standards of all Howard County government employees.”

“There was a demand for increased transparency from the community, and we heard that demand,” Jones said.

District 5 council member David Yungmann previously said he generally supports the creation of an inspector general and hopes to build on examples in adjacent counties to find a model that works best for Howard. In a news release Friday, he wrote that he wanted to use the collaborative opportunity with council members to “improve government accountability by creating an independent, bipartisan Inspector General.”

Ball also said a written statement that he commends the County Council for reaching “bipartisan consensus” on a charter amendment.

“This charter amendment is the first step in an important process that must thoroughly engage our residents and policymakers,” he said. “Our shared goals and focus remain the same: ensuring good governance, efficiency, and trust in our government while delivering an excellent quality of life for all who live, work, play, grow, and thrive in our community.”

The Howard County Council will be in recess for August. Bills related to creating the Office of the Inspector General were tabled Monday. They will be part of a work session in September, Walsh said in an interview Friday.