Howard County Council member Liz Walsh has proposed legislation to create an Office of the Inspector General to “uncover and address instances of waste, fraud and abuse” in organizations receiving county funding.

The proposed office would be an “independent entity with the authority to investigate organizations funded by the county,” according to a news release. Walsh, who represents District 1, proposed the office with advice and inspiration from similar offices in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, as well as Baltimore County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Ethics on Accountability.

The Howard bill represents a goal to “enhance trust, accountability, and transparency in local government,” Walsh’s news release states.

“We think the whole point of this is to have this independent, political neutral institution that is detached from … the clamor of politics,” Walsh said in an interview.

Walsh has been considering and drafting this proposal for about three years, she said, with advice and insight from Isabel Cummings and Kelly Madigan, the inspectors general for Baltimore City and Baltimore County, respectively. Their advice, as well as considerations for her own county, led to Walsh’s proposal this week, she said.

Walsh proposes a citizen board to appoint the inspector general in order to keep the selection processes separate from elected officials. The County Council would not be able to choose representatives for the board. The current plan is to have the county executive choose a board member from each county district, Walsh said.

There are many restrictions in place for selecting a citizen board, Walsh added, to maintain impartiality.

“It’s the people’s government, it’s local government, it’s the one that gets the water out of your tap, fixes the potholes in your front yard,” Walsh said. “It should be a fairly open process, open to anyone who wants to see it.”

Walsh’s proposed legislation also includes accompanying code revisions to support the office, which would amend the process for whistleblower complaints, amend the composition of the Howard County Ethics Commission and repeal certain duties from the county auditor.

The Howard County auditor is appointed by the County Council and oversees affairs of the executive branch of county government. The auditor also watches over public funds to ensure they are spent in accordance with adopted budgets and calls attention to any irregularity or improper procedure. The acting Howard County auditor is Lisa Geerman.

Craig Glendenning, who served as the county’s auditor for 11 years, left his position in December after facing criticism for a report that District 2 council member Opel Jones and County Executive Calvin Ball said exceeded his authority and contained racially insensitive language. Jones and council member Christiana Rigby, who represents District 3, had called for Glendenning’s termination after the report.

The five-member Howard County Ethics Commission — responsible for reviewing financial disclosure statements and lobbyist registration reports, investigating complaints, and more — is also appointed by the county executive and confirmed by the County Council.

The citizen board would select a candidate for the inspector general under Walsh’s proposal.

Safa Hira, communications director for Howard County government, said in a written statement that Ball “believes in the importance of a transparent, accountable and fiscally responsible government.” The government’s fiscal 2025 budget received “unanimous, bipartisan support” because of the staff’s work in answering requests and inquiries from the auditor’s office, Hira added.

“We will continue to be transparent of our processes to ensure efficiency and trust in our government,” Hira wrote. “Our office will continue to monitor Council Bills 47 and 48 as they work through the legislative and public process.”

If approved, Howard County would join Montgomery, Prince George’s and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City as the only state jurisdictions with an inspector general’s office.

District 5 council member David Yungmann said he generally supports the creation of an inspector general’s office and believes there are examples in adjacent counties that can be built on to find the best fit for Howard.

Council members Jones, Rigby and Deb Jung did not respond to requests for comment.

A public hearing on the proposed legislation will be held July 15 at 7 p.m. Walsh’s proposal could have a work session on July 23, with a vote held as early as July 29, she said. If the proposal passes, Ball would have 10 days to approve the bill. It would become law 60 days after it is signed.

Walsh hopes an inspector general would be selected within the next year, she said.