The Baltimore County Council voted against County Executive Kathy Klausmeier nomination of Khadija Walker as the next Baltimore County Inspector General.
The vote went 5 to 2 against Walker’s nomination.
Fifth District Councilman David Marks voted against nominating Walker and released a statement supporting current Inspector General Kelly Madigan.
“On Monday, August 4th, a majority of the Baltimore County Council rejected the County Executive’s choice for Inspector General. I opposed the nomination. In all my years as a Councilman, I have never seen such opposition to an appointment—and support for the current Inspector General, Kelly Madigan,” Marks said
“I received emails and phone calls from Baltimore Countians of all political persuasions, many of who have never contacted our office. It’s clear this issue struck a nerve and sent a message: Baltimore Countians expect their government to be honest and transparent, and they want an Inspector General empowered to ferret out waste, fraud, and abuse.
“Ms. Madigan will now remain in her position, hopefully until she is renominated for a second term.
Now it is time to ensure that she has the resources and power to fully carry out her mission. That is why I am sponsoring a resolution to urge the Maryland General Assembly to extend the Inspector General’s jurisdiction to include Baltimore County Public Schools, which receives around half the county budget.
“When this idea was first discussed in 2021, the Maryland General Assembly refused to take action because some legislators argued there are already audits in place. The Maryland Department of Education exercises control over local school systems.
“A string of controversies, however, shows the need for much stronger scrutiny at the county level. Our children have been impacted by a ransomware attack, bus delays, and numerous other incidents that point to inefficiency in the system.
It is also time to reform the process for selecting the Inspector General.
“That is why I am cosponsoring Councilman Izzy Patoka’s legislation to amend the county charter to create an independent panel that will review future candidates for this position.
