Howard County voters will have the opportunity to vote on ballot Question A this year.

Question A summarizes a charter amendment approved by all five members of the County Council in July. Approving Question A would allow the County Council to create an independent Office of the Inspector General. Passage of Question A would enable the appointment of a citizen board by both the executive and legislative branches of the local government, ensure that the Office of the Inspector General is funded and authorize the office to access independent legal advice.

Having an Office of the Inspector General builds public trust, protects taxpayer dollars and promotes compliance and transparency. Federal agencies, several jurisdictions in Maryland and the state’s education system have inspectors general. There’s a national Association of Inspectors General that provides certification, publishes standards and assists local offices. Governments across the nation have created, or have considered creating, inspector general offices to increase efficiency; uncover fraud, waste and abuse; and save significant sums of money.

Howard County does not have a position or an office that is empowered to do this work. Furthermore, our council did not have the legislative authority to create a truly independent office. If Question A is approved by the voters, the County Council will pass a bill, enabled by the charter changes, to implement the Office of the Inspector General by the end of 2024. The bill will define the structure and scope of the office and create a citizen board to ensure accountability for the Office of the Inspector General. In addition, the legislation will set processes for hiring and firing the inspector general, as well as for reviewing their completed work. It will also determine fiscal impacts of a new office. Much of the legislative work has been completed, but the final direction for the bill awaits the passage of Question A. Best practices require that an inspector general remain free from operational control and political influence, which can be accomplished only if the voters of Howard County pass Question A.

Please vote for Question A.

Deb Jung, Howard County Council chair, District 4