The Inspector General’s Office in Baltimore County has been granted expanded authority to access non-government documents.
According to a Baltimore Banner article, the Baltimore County Council unanimously approved council bill 84-23 on Monday evening. This local bill allows the county’s Office of the Inspector General to subpoena non-government records at any point during an investigation, without having to request them and wait 90 days. The office also has been granted the power to subpoena county records after 30 days if the records aren’t delivered.
The legislation additionally requires the council to justify any annual budget decreases for the Inspector General’s office. The changes came from recommendations by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Ethics and Accountability that County Executive Johnny Olszewski created in 2021.
While this process took longer than we hoped, I applaud the members of the County Council who voted to strengthen and affirm the independence of the Office of the Inspector General – and to further enshrine the principles of ethics and accountability into the fabric of our laws. pic.twitter.com/ui3CdlqxSA
— County Executive Johnny Olszewski (@BaltCoExec) December 18, 2023
