A proposed bill to strengthen the Howard County inspector general’s access to government records has exposed divisions among county council members ahead of the council’s final voting session.
Council Bill 69, introduced by District 4 Councilmember Deb Jung, would make Inspector General Kelly Madigan the custodian of records. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, October 19, at 7 p.m., followed by a vote on Friday, October 30. The vote is scheduled for the final voting session of the current council before the November election.
The legislation follows Madigan’s testimony in September, when she said her office had received 97 complaints but could not pursue all of them, including some that required access to personnel records.
Jung said the limitations highlighted the need for the proposed legislation.
“She had a number of claims that she had to dismiss simply because she didn’t have access to records,” Jung said. “That’s not what we want for our inspector general. We passed an inspector general bill in order to ensure that [they] could ferret out waste, fraud, and abuse, and if her hands are tied behind her back, then she will not be able to do so.”
Howard County Council Divided Over Proposed Bill
Council Bill 69 nearly failed to advance to a public hearing after council members debated the measure earlier this month. A motion by Chair Opel Jones to prevent the bill from moving forward failed by a 3-2 vote.
The disagreement comes as records access for inspectors general has become a broader issue in Maryland. A legal dispute in Baltimore City has focused on whether government agencies must provide records requested by an inspector general.
According to the WMAR-2 News report on the Baltimore City case, courts have ruled that the Maryland Public Information Act does not restrict or conflict with inspector general subpoenas.
Howard County Delegate Chao Wu is also working on a potential state-level remedy for the next legislative session.
Jones cited the pending state-level effort as one reason he questioned the need for the county bill. He also raised concerns about whether the proposed legislation was legally sufficient.
“I don’t believe that the inspector general should have unfettered access. I think that the inspector general should have the direct access that she currently has. She’s never been barred from any kind of information,” Jones said.
He disputed the suggestion that the inspector general’s office was unable to obtain the records needed for its work.
“To have the narrative that her hands are tied behind her back or she can’t get information is totally false,” Jones said.
Council Members Raise Concerns About Racial Undertones
The debate also brought concerns about race and the treatment of elected officials into the discussion.
District 3 Councilwoman Christiana Rigby, who also voted against advancing the bill, said her concerns extended beyond the question of records access.
“My concern now is about a pattern of behavior towards Black men in leadership,” Rigby said.
Jones supported Rigby’s concerns, alleging that Jung and other elected officials had unfairly targeted elected officials of color.
“I can absolutely speak to the fact that there are definitely racial undertones from Councilmember Jung and other elected officials that go after unfairly elected officials of color,” Jones said.
In a statement to WMAR-2 News, Jung rejected the allegations, calling them “meritless” and “a distraction from the issue at hand.”
Deb Jung Defends Inspector General Records Bill
Jung said the legislation is intended to give the inspector general the tools needed to investigate potential waste, fraud, and abuse, regardless of the individuals or programs involved.
In her full statement to WMAR-2 News, Jung said:
“Rigby and Jones’ claims are meritless and a distraction from the issue at hand- giving the Inspector General the tools she needs to do her job. Investigating waste, fraud, and abuse is a serious matter. All elected officials should support these efforts, whether it involves a multimillion-dollar grant or a bill to ensure the IG has access to the records she needs to complete investigations. No one should be beyond scrutiny.”
The upcoming public hearing and scheduled vote will determine whether Council Bill 69 advances as the current council approaches the end of its term. The debate has highlighted competing views over how much access the inspector general should have to government records and how best to ensure independent oversight.