UPDATE: Baltimore County Board of Education member Julie Henn has issued the following statement:
“Thank you to Baltimore County Councilman David Marks for his support of Inspector General Kelly Madigan and for his efforts to expand the Baltimore County Office of the Inspector General’s jurisdiction to include Baltimore County Public Schools. I have long advocated for increased oversight, was proud to work with Governor Hogan to create the first state Office of the Inspector General for Education, and wholeheartedly support expanding the County IG’s role to assist the Board in our oversight responsibilities.”
Original story below…
NOTTINGHAM, MD—Baltimore County Councilman David Marks has announced that he will be introducing a resolution requesting the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation giving oversight of the Baltimore County Public Schools system to the County Government. This will allow the Office of the Inspector General to oversee and investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the school system.
The OIG currently has no authority to investigate complaints pertaining to the school system which receives over half Baltimore County’s budget as its funding. With the ransomware attack, student residency questions, and numerous other issues coming out of BCPS over the past five years with little answers to residents and employees, Marks says it is clear that the OIG should have expanded oversight.
“Ler me be clear that I support Kelly Madigan as the only choice in continuing as the Inspector General,” said Councilman Marks. “I also believe it is time to allow for that office to have oversight over the half of the county budget shielded from this scrutiny.”
The resolution will also express support for the necessary additional staffing of the Office of the Inspector General to adequately conduct the increased oversight.
Previous legislation was proposed in the Maryland General Assembly, but failed. Councilman Marks also testified in favor of that bill.
“I believe my colleagues will agree with this resolution, and call on residents to contact their School Board members to request their support,” Marks added. “Every School Board member and our state legislators should welcome the Inspector General’s review.”
The resolution will be introduced at the August County Council meeting.
