The following article was submitted by County Councilman David Marks after the resignation of the resignation of Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan
December 1st, Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan announced her resignation from the position she has held since the office was created in 2019. Ms. Madigan will assume the Inspector General position in Howard County.
I learned of Ms. Madigan’s resignation only moments before it was sent to the press. I thank her for her service.
Before the Baltimore County Council passed legislation creating an Inspector General, there was really no clear way for the public to report allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse.
Since then, the Inspector General has received hundreds of complaints, many of which have resulted in investigations and publicly-posted reports. The County Council subsequently advanced legislation, adopted by the voters in 2022, that enshrines the office of the Inspector General permanently in our charter.
Last summer, the County Executive proposed replacing Ms. Madigan with another candidate. I joined four of my colleagues in opposing this action. The County Council subsequently advanced another charter change that would reform the selection process for the Inspector General so it is done by an independent board. I was a cosponsor of this change and hope it will be supported by the voters in 2026. Pending this vote, I believe it would be appropriate for Ms. Madigan’s deputy to lead the office in an acting capacity.
It is vital that we have a strong, independent Inspector General, and that this position’s portfolio be expanded to include Baltimore County Public Schools, which receives about half the funding in our local budget.
Council Chair Mike Ertel and I joined Senator Carl Jackson and Delegate Ryan Nawrocki at a press conference to urge passage of this bill, which must be done by the Maryland General Assembly.
This County Council has clearly signaled that it supports a robust Inspector General, regardless of who leads that office.
